[2026-27 Eredivisie] Sparta Rotterdam vs Willem II preview Kick-off: October 17, 19:00 UTC
Sparta Rotterdam and Willem II meet at Het Kasteel in Rotterdam for round nine of the Eredivisie, with kick-off at 19:00 UTC on October 17. The 14th-placed hosts are still looking for their first home win, while 18th-placed Willem II are waiting for their first win of the season. Sparta Rotterdam’s attack could test Willem II’s defence, though the hosts’ tendency to lose the ball after pushing forward could give the visitors chances to counter.
1. Match overview and team form
League record after eight matches Position and points: Sparta Rotterdam 14th, 6 points / Willem II 18th, 2 points Wins, draws and losses: Sparta Rotterdam 1 win, 3 draws, 4 losses / Willem II 0 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses Goals scored and conceded: Sparta Rotterdam 13 and 20 / Willem II 7 and 23 Record in the relevant home and away conditions: Sparta Rotterdam at home, 0 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses, 5 goals scored and 10 conceded / Willem II away, 0 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses, 4 goals scored and 13 conceded
Sparta Rotterdam have taken just three points from their last six league matches since beating Telstar 3-1 away. Their attack has not gone quiet, though. They scored first away to Go Ahead Eagles, fell behind, then equalised twice to draw 3-3. They have scored 13 goals in eight league matches this season but conceded 20. At home against PEC Zwolle, they had 21 shots and 15 corners but finished 2-2. Creating chances and then protecting a lead has not brought them the points they wanted.
There is no single explanation for their goals conceded. Against PEC Zwolle, they were caught on the counter after their own corner and later conceded an equaliser from a free-kick header while ahead. In the 0-4 loss to SC Heerenveen, they lost the ball in midfield and failed to recover their defensive shape. Against Go Ahead Eagles, a goalkeeper error after a long-range free-kick and an own goal also played a part. That is why their winless home record this season cannot be put down to a lack of goals alone.
Under Maurice Steijn, Sparta Rotterdam have created good chances away from home when they absorb pressure and move forward quickly. They took the lead away to PSV with a long pass from Bas Kuipers, and threatened on the break against Go Ahead Eagles despite having less possession. At home, they have had to keep the ball for longer and take the initiative. They failed to manage a shot on target against SC Heerenveen, while against PEC Zwolle they created plenty but conceded after losing possession. If Willem II sit deep away from home, Sparta Rotterdam will have a different role from the away matches where they have performed well this season.
Willem II have scored seven goals and conceded 23 in eight matches. They have recently been able to delay conceding. They kept AZ Alkmaar scoreless until the 32nd minute and Ajax until the 41st, and went into half-time at 0-0 against Fortuna Sittard and FC Utrecht. But those four matches brought only one point, from the draw against AZ Alkmaar. Jaden Slory equalised in the 60th minute against FC Utrecht, but they conceded again in the 75th and lost 1-3. Seeing out the first half has not translated into defensive stability across the full match.
John Stegeman has set his team up in a low block away from home and looked to counter. In the 1-1 draw at AZ Alkmaar, Willem II had just 33% possession before Devin Haen equalised in the 81st minute, immediately after the hosts lost the ball in midfield. Against Ajax, they held on to 0-0 for a while with the same approach, but allowed 32 shots and lost 1-5. After the FC Utrecht match, Stegeman said his team had lacked threat in possession and had spent too long waiting. He has not indicated that he plans to make a sudden change to their approach for this match.
The absences affect different parts of each team. Sparta Rotterdam will be without winger Mito. Mitchell van Bergen’s return is uncertain, so it is hard to settle on a starting plan that assumes he will play. When both players were out against Go Ahead Eagles, the full-backs pushed forward and Isaac Babadi had the freedom to move and cross from the left. Two of Babadi’s crosses led to goals, though Sparta also conceded from a free-kick after he lost the ball.
Willem II are missing first-choice goalkeeper Thomas Didillon-Hödl, as well as defenders Justin Hoogma and Amin Lachkar. Maxim De Lange is expected to start in goal, with the usual centre-backs likely to keep their places, so the absences may not change the starting shape. Stegeman has, however, mentioned Didillon-Hödl’s role in organising the team before matches, and Hoogma’s absence leaves fewer options for a centre-back change during the game. De Lange made eight saves against Ajax but failed to deal with a header against Fortuna Sittard, which led to the winner.
The data centre lists five competitive meetings between these sides, all won by Sparta Rotterdam, with a combined score of 15-2. Most recently, Sparta won 5-1 in a cup match in December 2025. Willem II were in the second division then, and Steijn was not yet Sparta Rotterdam’s manager, so we cannot carry that scoreline over to this match. The teams have had seven and six days off, respectively, since their last games. The forecast calls for 11°C and occasional showers at kick-off, but there is no reason to expect the weather to favour either side.
2. Match-up analysis
If Willem II sit deep as usual away from home, Sparta Rotterdam are likely to have the ball in the opposition half and look for goals through crosses and set pieces. Milan Zonneveld, who has scored five this season, has found the net after a long pass, from a cross and with a header from a corner. Kuipers has three assists, and Babadi supplied two crosses for goals in the previous match. Even if Sparta lack a winger who can take defenders on directly, they still have a route to goal through balls into the box for Zonneveld.
That route lines up with the way Willem II have conceded. They have let in headed goals from corners against SC Heerenveen and Excelsior Rotterdam. Sparta’s Zonneveld headed in a corner from Bas against PEC Zwolle. Even if Willem II defend deep and keep the wide attacks at bay, repeatedly giving away corners and free kicks would leave De Lange and the centre-backs dealing with aerial balls again and again. Whether Sparta can win enough set pieces is central to the hosts’ attack.
It also matters whether Steijn sticks with a back five. Away to Go Ahead Eagles, he used three centre-backs and pushed both wing-backs forward. That can leave three defenders in the middle after losing possession, which helps guard against Willem II’s counters. Against a deep defence, though, the formation means one fewer winger, increasing the reliance on Babadi’s forward runs and crosses. If van Bergen returns to the starting line-up and takes on defenders out wide, Sparta will have another way to attack, but the situations Willem II can target with Slory and Haen after a turnover will also change. His availability is more likely to affect how the teams create chances than the overall direction of the match.
Where Sparta lose the ball will matter to Willem II’s counterattacks. Their equaliser against AZ Alkmaar came when they moved the ball forward immediately after the hosts lost it in midfield. Against FC Utrecht, Slory received a pass from Vito van Crooij near halfway, drove forward and scored. Sparta conceded after losing the ball in midfield against SC Heerenveen, and gave up the opening goal on a counter after their own corner against PEC Zwolle. Babadi carrying the ball through the middle, or the moment just after a Sparta corner has ended, could give Willem II a chance to send the ball quickly towards Slory and Haen.
Even if Willem II score on the break, questions remain about how they manage the game afterwards. Six of their seven goals this season have come in the second half, but against SC Heerenveen they conceded an equaliser three minutes after taking the lead, and against FC Utrecht they went behind again 15 minutes after making it 1-1. They have also failed to keep opponents out in the second half after using a low block to delay the first goal. If Willem II score first, Sparta Rotterdam may push further forward, creating more counterattacking chances for the visitors. At the same time, Willem II would have to defend a growing number of crosses and set pieces to protect their lead.
A Sparta Rotterdam opener would lead to a different game. Willem II would need to push up and commit more players to attack in search of an equaliser. Steijn’s team have found space when opponents move forward with the ball, while Willem II conceded late goals as they chased games against Excelsior Rotterdam and FC Utrecht. Still, a one-goal lead would not make the hosts safe. Against PEC Zwolle, Sparta led 2-1 before conceding an equaliser from a free-kick header in the 80th minute. Haen’s headed threat from set pieces and Willem II’s second-half counters give the visitors ways to draw level too.
Second-half substitutions will also depend on the score. Steijn has recently changed his attacking options in the early part of the 60th minute, while Stegeman has kept his starting shape until around the 70th minute in matches where Willem II have been able to hold on before bringing on attacking players. If Willem II are behind and add forwards around then, Sparta may find more chances to score on the break. If the match remains 0-0, the longer it goes on, the greater the risk that the hosts push too hard and lose the ball. What matters is not only how long Willem II hold out in the first half, but also whether Sparta create clear chances from corners and crosses in that time. That could shape the second half.
3. Final view and prediction
We expect Sparta Rotterdam to score first. Even if Willem II find a second-half goal on the counter, the more likely outcome is for the hosts to extend their lead late on. Our predicted scores are 3-1 or 4-1 to Sparta Rotterdam. If Willem II defend deep, Sparta can keep sending crosses from the left towards Zonneveld and look for set pieces. If the visitors push forward to chase the game, Steijn’s side can attack the space behind their defence. Willem II have scored in the second half recently, but they have also conceded again after drawing level or taking the lead. To turn a goal into a win, they will need to defend better than they have so far.
The market favours Sparta Rotterdam because of Willem II’s winless run and high number of goals conceded, the difference in league position and the home advantage. We agree on the likely winner but see the score margin and total goals differently. Sparta’s home record this season is not strong evidence in their favour. The more relevant factor is that their set pieces, one of the attacking options they still have, will test Willem II’s corner defence and De Lange’s handling of high balls. The managers’ attacking changes in the second half, and Willem II’s tendency to concede while chasing games, also support the prospect of more goals after the opener.
Our prediction hinges on Sparta Rotterdam winning repeated corners and crosses against Willem II’s low block. If Willem II use a defensive plan like the one that earned them a point away to AZ Alkmaar and limit those chances, keeping the score at 0-0 until close to the 70th minute, the expected pattern of a Sparta opener followed by a late second goal could change.
