Groningen surge underline away form with ruthless first half display | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: ADO Den Haag were beaten 4-1 by Groningen at the WerkTalent Stadion. Thom van Bergen opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a left-footed finish. Brynjolfur Willumsson doubled the lead after a VAR check (30.), then David van der Werff made it three in the second minute of first half stoppage time. Yannick Eduardo briefly gave ADO hope with a neat finish (55.), before Nils Eggens' header restored the visitors' cushion (81.). Groningen rise from ninth to second with two wins from two and now visit PSV next, while ADO travel to Go Ahead Eagles.

Player of the Match: Thom van Bergen set the tone, scoring the opener and later supplying the cross for the fourth, while testing the goalkeeper with four shots on target and winning possession eight times.

Stat of the Match: Groningen registered 14 shots on target from 17 attempts, a clinical 82.4% accuracy that reflected their cutting edge.

Three Things We Learned: ADO had 54.8% possession yet trailed 3-0 at the break, showing control of the ball did not translate to control of the game. Kilian Nikiema produced 10 saves, preventing a heavier defeat against opponents who found the target relentlessly. Van Bergen's all-action outing stood out, pairing an early goal with an assist and four shots on target as Groningen pressed aggressively.