Excelsior v Utrecht: play-off push meets survival fight | OneFootball

Excelsior host Utrecht in the Eredivisie on Sunday, 13 September 2026 at Stadion Woudestein, with the Rotterdam side chasing early play-off momentum and the visitors aiming to climb away from the bottom end.

Excelsior sit fourth with 10 points from five games, while Utrecht are 15th on two. The last meeting here finished 5-0 to Excelsior in April, though Utrecht won 4-1 in August 2025, underlining how this fixture can swing.

Form favours the hosts: wins over Sparta Rotterdam and Willem II were followed by a 2-2 draw at NEC. Utrecht are winless in five league matches, suffering heavy defeats by AZ and PSV but drawing 3-3 in successive games against Sparta and Go Ahead Eagles.

Team news shapes selection. Excelsior list defender Simon Janssen and midfielder Noah Naujoks as injured. Utrecht are without midfielders Victor Jensen, Kevin Paredes and Alonzo Engwanda, trimming Anthony Correia's options between the lines.

On the pitch, Ruben den Uil's side have scored 12 goals at 2.4 per game, with five headers and a 30.00% cross accuracy from open play, plus two clean sheets. That aerial supply could trouble a Utrecht defence that has conceded 18 and kept no clean sheet. Up front, David Garden has three league goals for the hosts and creator Irakli Yegoian leads the assists chart with four, while Artem Stepanov's four goals headline Utrecht's threat.

A win would move Excelsior to 13 points and could strengthen their grip on the European play-off places. Victory for Utrecht would take them to five points and may ease pressure by pulling them further from the relegation spots.