Excelsior v Sparta Rotterdam: early momentum meets play-off push | OneFootball

Excelsior host Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie on Saturday, 29 August 2026 at Stadion Woudestein, with the visitors currently in the qualification play-off places and the hosts aiming to climb after a promising start.

Recent meetings were split last season, with Excelsior winning 3-2 away in May and Sparta Rotterdam edging a 1-0 success at Woudestein in September.

Excelsior opened with a 4-0 win at Cambuur before a narrow 2-1 home defeat by PSV. Sparta Rotterdam lost to Feyenoord, responded with a 3-1 victory at Telstar and drew 3-3 with Utrecht.

Noah Naujoks, Excelsior's leading league scorer this season with two goals, is out injured, so the supply line of Simon Janssen and Irakli Yegoian, both on two assists, becomes even more important.

Ruben den Uil's side have been efficient: five goals from just seventeen shots, a shooting accuracy of 64.71% and three headed goals point to a real aerial threat. Sparta Rotterdam cross heavily from open play, delivering forty-eight balls with 37.50% accuracy, and could again look wide through creators Bas Kuipers and Shunsuke Mito, while Marvin Young leads their scoring with two.

Sparta Rotterdam sit seventh on four points and a win would take them to seven, strengthening their grip on the play-off places. Excelsior are 10th on three points. Victory would lift them to six and could push them towards those spots, while a draw would move them to four.