Excelsior vs 29.08.26 14:302 – 1Full Time
Sparta Rotterdam — Eredivisie: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Nesto Groen's stoppage-time strike sinks Sparta Rotterdam at Excelsior
Excelsior came from behind to beat Sparta Rotterdam 2-1 in an Eredivisie matchday four fixture at Stadion Woudestein, a game that swung late after Sparta had fought back from a first-half deficit to level things up.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Aymen Sliti put the home side ahead in the 24th minute, and Excelsior held that lead until half-time. Sparta responded quickly after the break, with Milan Zonneveld converting an assist from Mitchell van Bergen in the 48th minute to make it 1-1. The scoreline stayed level deep into the match before Nesto Groen, set up by Ilano Silva Timas, struck in the second minute of stoppage time to hand Excelsior victory.
Sparta held the greater share of possession at 57 percent and edged the expected-goals count marginally, but Excelsior were the more direct side, registering 14 shots to Sparta's 10 and finishing with four efforts on target compared to two for the visitors. The win lifted Excelsior to seventh in the table with six points from three matches, while Sparta sit tenth on four points from four.
Zonneveld scored Sparta's equaliser and was rated the outstanding performer of the match with an 8.2 rating, though it was not enough to prevent defeat.
Excelsior's 14 shots to Sparta's 10, despite having less of the ball, underlined their directness in front of goal.
Excelsior beat Sparta Rotterdam 2–1 (half-time 1–0).
Excelsior met Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie (Regular Season - 4). Kick-off was Saturday, 29 August 2026, 14:30 UTC at Stadion Woudestein. Referee: Serdar Gozubuyuk.
Team pages: Excelsior · Sparta Rotterdam · Eredivisie
Key moments
- 24' Goal: Aymen Sliti — 1–0
- 48' Goal: Milan Zonneveld (assist: Mitchell van Bergen) — 1–1
- 90' Goal: Nesto Groen (assist: Ilano Silva Timas) — 2–1
Starting line-ups
Excelsior (4-3-3)
Sparta Rotterdam (4-2-3-1)
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave Excelsior 45%, the draw 26%, Sparta Rotterdam 29%. It finished Excelsior 2–1 Sparta Rotterdam.
Level sides, home ground swings it, even this early in the season — Nothing separates them on our strength rating, and Excelsior's 45% is home ground and little else. The draw at 26% is held down by a high-scoring environment.
Why Excelsior in front?
Home ground, and little else. Almost nothing between them on our strength rating — 1581 to 1571. Sides this close won 45.6% of 14,507 home games (draw 26.5%, visitors 27.9%).
Why only 45%?
Because on our strength rating there is nothing in it. Both sides are inside their first six league games — home wins land softer this early in the season, so this trims Excelsior's column. Across 10,761 opening-stretch games since 2010, home sides won 42.8% where the rating map expected 44.9%, with draws up 2.0 — negative in every season since 2018. Excelsior scored +0.39 goals per game beyond chance-quality — home sides this hot gave some of it back. Opponents of hot-finishing home sides won 28.6% of 1,472 games, vs 27.9% against normal finishing.
Why the draw at 26%?
Between sides this level the draw starts at 26.5%. These teams' recent games average 3.4 goals — a high-scoring environment. Games in that environment drew 22.8% of 17,023. 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?
Excelsior have gained 149 strength-rating points over their last 10 games. Momentum is measured but not yet proven: climbing sides won 41.4% of 12,243 such games vs 40.7% class-expected — inside the noise band, so it stays at 0 points until the receipt clears its evidence bar. Sparta Rotterdam have rebuilt the eleven — fewer of last season's regular starters are still starting. Squad turnover reads dramatic but hasn't moved results once the rating is controlled: the busiest windows landed within noise across 5,368 games, rebuilt elevens likewise across 5,446, and even losing the most regular starters showed nothing (5,336). 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 Excelsior vs Sparta Rotterdam 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 Excelsior and Sparta Rotterdam team pages or the Eredivisie page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Excelsior vs Sparta Rotterdam?
Excelsior beat Sparta Rotterdam 2–1 (half-time 1–0).
›Who scored in Excelsior vs Sparta Rotterdam?
Aymen Sliti (24') for Excelsior; Milan Zonneveld (48') for Sparta Rotterdam; Nesto Groen (90') for Excelsior.
›Where can I watch Excelsior vs Sparta Rotterdam highlights?
This page carries the full match report, stats and lineups for Excelsior vs Sparta Rotterdam; goal clips are added as soon as official highlights are available.
›What is the head-to-head record between Excelsior and Sparta Rotterdam?
Excelsior and Sparta Rotterdam have met 10 times — 5 wins for Excelsior, 4 wins for Sparta Rotterdam and 1 draw.