NEC Nijmegen vs 08.09.26 16:452 – 2Full Time
Excelsior — Eredivisie: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Lebreton's stoppage-time leveller rescues NEC point against Excelsior
NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior shared the points in a 2-2 draw at Stadion de Goffert in an Eredivisie round three fixture that swung back and forth until the final minutes. Adam Tahaui put the home side ahead after ten minutes, converting a Willum Willumsson assist, before David Garden levelled for Excelsior just before half-time to make it 1-1 at the break.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Excelsior turned the contest in the second half when Valentin Sulzbacher struck in the 73rd minute, assisted by Aymen Sliti, to put the visitors 2-1 ahead and seemingly on course for victory. NEC pushed forward in search of an equaliser and were rewarded deep into stoppage time, Noé Lebreton converting a Perr Schuurs assist in the 90+2nd minute to make it 2-2 and deny Excelsior the win.
NEC dominated territorially with 69 percent of possession but managed only 11 shots to Excelsior's 14, with the visitors also edging shots on target 5 to 3, reflecting a match where the home side's control did not translate into clinical finishing until the very end.
Lebreton scored the dramatic stoppage-time equaliser for NEC and finished with the highest rating on the pitch at 7.83.
Despite enjoying 69 percent of possession, NEC were outshot by Excelsior, who managed 14 attempts to the hosts' 11.
NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior drew 2–2 (half-time 1–1).
NEC Nijmegen met Excelsior in the Eredivisie (Regular Season - 3). Kick-off was Tuesday, 8 September 2026, 16:45 UTC at Goffertstadion. Referee: Erwin Blank.
Team pages: NEC Nijmegen · Excelsior · Eredivisie
Key moments
- 11' Goal: Adam Tahaui (assist: Willum Willumsson) — 1–0
- 43' Goal: David Garden (assist: Irakli Yegoian) — 1–1
- 73' Goal: Valentin Sulzbacher (assist: Aymen Sliti) — 1–2
- 90' Goal: Noé Lebreton (assist: Perr Schuurs) — 2–2
Starting line-ups
NEC Nijmegen (3-4-2-1)
Excelsior (3-4-3)
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave NEC Nijmegen 56%, the draw 24%, Excelsior 20%. It finished NEC Nijmegen 2–2 Excelsior.
A slight rating edge to NEC Nijmegen, little else — NEC Nijmegen are a shade stronger on our strength rating, and their control of the ball plus Excelsior's hot finishing due to cool on top give NEC Nijmegen a clear lead. The draw at 24% is held down by a high-scoring environment.
Why NEC Nijmegen at 56%?
NEC Nijmegen sit 59 points higher on our strength rating — 1662 to 1603. Sides with a 50–100-point rating edge at home won 50.5% of 10,442 such games. NEC Nijmegen hold 6 more possession points (55 to 49 in recent games) — and between equals, control has been worth something. Between evenly-matched sides, home teams with this control edge won 47.9% of 5,206 games, vs 44.0% when styles were level. Excelsior scored +0.62 goals per game beyond chance-quality lately — hot streaks like that have cooled off. Visitors running this hot went on to win 28.8% of 1,488 games, vs 29.1% for visitors finishing normally.
Why only 56%?
Both sides are inside their first six league games — home wins land softer this early in the season, so this trims NEC Nijmegen's column. Across 11,026 opening-stretch games since 2010, home sides won 42.7% where the rating map expected 44.9%, with draws up 2.0 — negative in every season since 2018.
Why the draw at 24%?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 26.6%. These teams' recent games average 3.4 goals — a high-scoring environment. Games in that environment drew 22.8% of 17,144. The goals environment takes 2.3 points off the draw. Early-season fixtures add 2.0 points to the draw.
What did we measure but not count?
NEC Nijmegen sit -0.33 goals per game under chance-quality. For home sides we could not receipt a bounce-back — the measured cells sit inside each other's noise bands — so this is noted and scores 0. Excelsior have gained 173 strength-rating points over their last 10 games. Momentum is measured but not yet proven: climbing sides won 41.4% of 12,330 such games vs 40.7% class-expected — inside the noise band, so it stays at 0 points until the receipt clears its evidence bar. The other measured facts on this page scored nothing either.
Sirius probabilities, frozen at kick-off. Analysis, not betting advice. How Sirius is doing this season · Full breakdown, evidence cards and squad news in the Match Insights tab
About this match
On this page: the NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior final score and result, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this Eredivisie fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
The full match report above covers the goals, key moments and stats. Explore more on the NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior team pages or the Eredivisie page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior?
NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior drew 2–2 (half-time 1–1).
›Who scored in NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior?
Adam Tahaui (11') for NEC Nijmegen; David Garden (43') for Excelsior; Valentin Sulzbacher (73') for Excelsior; Noé Lebreton (90') for NEC Nijmegen.
›Where can I watch NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior highlights?
This page carries the full match report, stats and lineups for NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior; goal clips are added as soon as official highlights are available.
›What is the head-to-head record between NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior?
NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior have met 10 times — 5 wins for NEC Nijmegen, 3 wins for Excelsior and 2 draws.