Excelsior hold on as VAR drama caps late Sparta surge | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Excelsior beat Sparta Rotterdam 3-2 at Het Kasteel in Rotterdam. Giannino Vianello put through his own net in the 14th minute to hand the visitors the lead. Sparta's Ayoni Santos briefly trimmed the margin (53.), only for Noah Naujoks to restore it with a header from a corner (62.). Excelsior made 32 clearances, absorbing pressure as Sparta produced 18 attempts with 52.9% possession. Milan Zonneveld struck in the first minute of second half stoppage time, then saw another finish overturned by VAR in the fourth minute of second half stoppage time, as Excelsior finished 13th, up from 14th, and Sparta 10th.

Player of the Match: Naujoks knitted Excelsior's attacks, scoring once and producing four key passes plus 11 successful final third passes in a tireless display.

Stat of the Match: Lewis Schouten made eight clearances, a vital platform for the visitors' backs-to-the-wall finish.

Three Things We Learned: Sparta created more, with 18 attempts and 52.9% possession, but turned only five efforts on target. Excelsior's rearguard worked overtime, finishing with 32 clearances and Stijn van Gassel making three saves. Set pieces mattered, with the clinching cushion arriving from a corner and Gyan de Regt supplying the cross.