[2026-27 Dutch Eredivisie] Fortuna Sittard vs Excelsior Rotterdam Preview Kick-off: October 25 at 11:15 UTC
Fortuna Sittard take on Excelsior Rotterdam at Fortuna Sittard Stadion on October 25 at 11:15 UTC in round 10 of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season. Fortuna Sittard sit 6th and Excelsior 12th, separated by four points. The hosts failed to hold onto their leads in their last two matches, while the visitors are winless in their last five.
1. Match Overview and Current Form
Fortuna Sittard have four wins, three draws and two defeats in nine league matches, taking 15 points. After losing 5-1 to Ajax, they beat Willem II to reach 13 points from seven games, which Voetbal International reported on September 20 as the club's second-best start to a season ever. Consecutive draws against Twente and NEC followed. In both draws, they opened the scoring before conceding the equalizer. Despite their high table position, their goal record stands at 16 scored and 17 conceded. Three of their four wins came by a single goal, with heavy defeats hurting their goal difference.
Excelsior have three wins, two draws and four defeats for 11 points. They won three of their first four games, but have managed only two draws and three defeats in their last five. Following a 5-1 loss to Groningen, they went down 4-0 away to SC Heerenveen last time out. Defensive lapses and errors from goalkeeper Stijn van Gassel led to goals during this run, while pushing numbers forward after falling behind left them open to counter-attacks. Still, recent scorelines do not directly translate into today's performance gap. Fortuna Sittard do not press the opposition center-backs high up the pitch the way Groningen do.
2026-27 Season League Record (9 matches) Rank & Points: Fortuna Sittard 6th, 15 pts / Excelsior Rotterdam 12th, 11 pts Goals Scored & Conceded: Fortuna Sittard 16-17 / Excelsior Rotterdam 16-18 Home & Away: Fortuna Sittard Home 1W-1D-2L / Excelsior Rotterdam Away 2W-2D-1L
Three of Fortuna Sittard's four home matches this season came against teams currently in the top five. Their home record alone makes it hard to gauge their chances against Excelsior. Conceding in all of their last nine competitive home fixtures stretching back to the end of last season remains an issue for the defense. Excelsior have scored 22 goals in their last 11 competitive away matches, though their two away victories this season came against SC Cambuur and Willem II. In their 2-2 draw away to Ajax, they held just 19% possession and converted limited chances, aided by six saves from van Gassel and three opposition efforts hitting the woodwork.
The main factor in attack is Mohammed Ihattaren. He pulled out of the warm-up before the NEC match with pain and remains a doubt today. Fortuna Sittard have relied on Ihattaren's crosses from the right for Anthony Descotte and Reinkensio Zeefuik to finish off. With Ihattaren missing against NEC, Sven Simons started, and the team produced two goals through an individual run by Descotte and a free kick from Shiloh 't Zand. Their expected goals in that match were just 0.39 from five attempts, showing that scoring twice did not mean the attacking build-up functioned well.
Jasper Dahlhaus could return, but his start is not confirmed. If both he and Ihattaren sit out, midfielder Philip Brittijn may drop into defense again, with Simons, Édouard Michut and 't Zand handling the midfield. If Dahlhaus returns, manager Danny Buijs has the option to push Brittijn into midfield. Ole Romeny has not started the last two matches and Yassin Oukili is also expected to miss out. Excelsior's Noah Naujoks returned off the bench against SC Heerenveen, but data center injury logs on October 25 list him as out, so his appearance cannot be assumed.
Buijs favors a five-man defense with Fortuna Sittard. Once ahead, they drop deeper and look to transition when opponents push forward. Ruben den Uil has generally kept a consistent starting eleven for Excelsior. Last season's two league meetings between the managers ended in a 1-0 win for Excelsior and a 2-1 win for Fortuna Sittard. The first was decided by an early cross from Irakli Yegoian, while the second turned on a penalty and a corner. Because several wingers from those fixtures are not starting lately, the route to goal offers more clues than the final scores.
Both squads play away KNVB Cup ties between October 27 and 29. Neither coach has mentioned resting regular starters today. Open-Meteo forecasts wind gusts of around 50 km/h in Sittard around kick-off. Because both sides use crosses and high balls from set pieces, the wind does not favor one side over the other, though it could affect kicking accuracy and goalkeeper handling on aerial balls.
2. Matchup Analysis
Both teams might have to attack in ways they find unfamiliar. Fortuna Sittard look best when conceding possession and breaking on the counter, and Excelsior managed their 2-2 draw at Ajax by defending compactly and finishing their few chances. When Excelsior controlled 56% possession against Utrecht, they moved the ball around in front of the defense and ended up trailing in shot counts. Which side holds the ball longer will dictate how each attack operates.
If Excelsior prioritize their defensive shape on the road, the home side will see more of the ball. Without Ihattaren, Fortuna Sittard miss their chief source of accurate crosses from the right and the final pass on the break. Away at Willem II, they struggled to break through until the 79th minute, when Ihattaren's cross led to a Zeefuik header, with Brittijn slotting home the rebound off the keeper. If Excelsior sit deep today, Fortuna could find themselves relying heavily on individual runs from Descotte and set-piece deliveries from 't Zand.
If Excelsior push forward in possession, it creates the transition opportunities Fortuna Sittard favor. Away at Groningen, Zeefuik held up the ball near the halfway line, beat his markers to assist Ihattaren's opener, and later broke behind the line to score himself. Descotte scored against Ajax in a one-on-one after an Ajax defender surrendered possession. Should Excelsior lose the ball in midfield or commit extra bodies forward when behind, both forwards can exploit space behind the line. Fortuna Sittard have not shown the high press needed to force those early errors on a regular basis, however.
Yegoian drives Excelsior's attack. With three goals and five assists this season, he has been involved directly in eight of the club's 16 goals. Against Willem II, his run and low pass set up David Garden's goal, and against Ajax, his cross from the flank set up Ayman Sliti. When Yegoian receives the ball in midfield and drives forward, one full-back cannot contain him alone. If both Ihattaren and Dahlhaus are out and Brittijn moves to defense, how well the adjusted midfield stops Yegoian's runs becomes a key factor.
Excelsior have a more direct route to goal from dead-ball situations. A prime example came against Willem II, when Simon Janssen's corner was headed home by Rick Meissen. ESPN noted at the time on September 6 that it was Excelsior's fifth headed goal of the season. Fortuna Sittard conceded an equalizer against Twente from a routine corner and another against NEC from a quickly taken corner, along with conceding after a corner sequence against Ajax. If the hosts take the lead and sit deep, Janssen's deliveries and aerial duels featuring Meissen and Casper Widell will carry plenty of weight.
Set pieces offer chances for Fortuna Sittard as well. Against NEC, Descotte headed in 't Zand's free kick, and they also scored from a corner header in their February meeting with Excelsior. Excelsior's van Gassel made six saves away to Ajax, but scored an own goal failing to deal with a cross against Groningen and gave away a penalty after rushing off his line against SC Heerenveen. With gusty winds forecast today, delivery accuracy and defending the second ball could decide whether chances turn into goals.
Coaching decisions after the opening goal will reshape the flow. If Fortuna Sittard lead, Buijs can pack the defense. Against Twente and NEC, holding a lead still ended in conceding from set pieces. When Excelsior fall behind, den Uil regularly makes multiple substitutions to push numbers into attack. That led to an equalizer against Utrecht, but also brought conceded goals on the break against Groningen and SC Heerenveen. Fortuna Sittard have the tools to add another goal on the counter in that scenario, while Excelsior can fight back through set pieces while the hosts sit back.
If Excelsior score first, Fortuna Sittard must chase the game with the ball. Without Ihattaren, options for passes and crosses from the second line drop, forcing more balls into a crowded box patrolled by Meissen and Widell. Even with 't Zand's free kicks and Descotte's individual quality, the visitors will have openings to extend their lead through Yegoian's driving runs and van Gassel's long clearances. Which side strikes first matters just as much as what type of attack they allow afterward.
3. Final Verdict
We anticipate a score of 1-1 or a 2-1 win for Fortuna Sittard, with 1-1 the more likely outcome. Ihattaren missed the previous match after feeling pain in the warm-up and projected lineups place Simons in his spot. Even if Fortuna Sittard pull ahead via a 't Zand set piece or a solo effort from Descotte, they still need to defend against Janssen's corners and Excelsior's aerial threat once they sit deep.
Both teams' attacking setups support this outlook. Without Ihattaren, Fortuna Sittard lose their primary right-sided crossing avenue against a low block. The aggressive high press that triggered Excelsior's recent defensive collapses is unlikely to come from Fortuna today. Excelsior's Janssen and Meissen can also look to exploit Fortuna's vulnerability to conceding from set pieces after taking the lead. The market gives Fortuna Sittard a slight edge due to their higher league standing and the visitors' recent heavy defeats, but the matchup dynamics and conditions behind those conceded goals point more toward a draw.
If Ihattaren is named in the starting eleven, our outlook shifts toward a 2-1 Fortuna win. His delivery would give Fortuna the lead, opening up chances for Descotte to add a second when Excelsior push forward in pursuit. Even then, the visitors keep their threat from set pieces. Whether Ihattaren starts is the deciding factor for our 1-1 call.
