Excelsior close in on best-ever Eredivisie start

Excelsior are within reach of their best start to an Eredivisie season after taking nine points from their opening four matches. The Rotterdam club’s only defeat came in a narrow 2-1 loss to PSV, with victories secured against SC Cambuur, Sparta Rotterdam and Willem II.

The two away wins were particularly emphatic. Excelsior beat Cambuur 4-0 before Saturday’s 3-0 victory in Tilburg, while the Rotterdam derby against Sparta also delivered three points. Only in 1979/80 and 2010/11 have the Kralingers made a better five-game start, collecting ten points on both occasions.

A draw away to NEC would therefore equal that benchmark, while victory would establish a new club best after five Eredivisie fixtures. History offers a warning: Excelsior lost 5-0 on their previous league visit to Nijmegen and have also been beaten in the last two home meetings between the sides. However, NEC have yet to win at home in the league this season, having faced Telstar and Feyenoord there.

The strong opening continues Excelsior’s recovery under Ruben den Uil. Last season they took only two points during an eight-match winless sequence but avoided the relegation play-offs by earning ten points from their final four rounds, eventually finishing six points above 16th-placed FC Volendam. Voetbal International reported that Den Uil described the new season’s start as “unprecedented” after the win over Willem II. Difficult away assignments at NEC and Ajax now await, with survival still expected to remain the main objective.