NEC Nijmegen 2-2 Excelsior: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
Eredivisie Matchday 3 · Tuesday 8 September 2026 · Goffertstadion, Nijmegen · referee E. Blank · full time
Full time: NEC Nijmegen 2-2 Excelsior
NEC Nijmegen and Excelsior drew 2-2 in Eredivisie Matchday 3 on Tuesday 8 September 2026 at Goffertstadion. The goals: Adam Tahaui 11', David Garden 43', Valentin Sulzbacher 73', Noé Lebreton 90+2'.
How the match unfolded
Adam Tahaui put NEC Nijmegen ahead in the 11th minute, set up by Willum Thór Willumsson. Excelsior levelled at 1-1 in the 43rd minute through David Garden, set up by Irakli Yegoian. Excelsior turned it round: Valentin Sulzbacher made it 1-2 in the 73rd minute, set up by Aymen Sliti. NEC Nijmegen levelled at 2-2 in the 90th minute (+2) through Noé Lebreton, set up by Perr Schuurs. It came with the clock nearly run down, and it rescued a point.
It was 1-1 at half-time.
The lead changed hands once.
The referee, E. Blank, showed 4 yellow cards: 1 to NEC Nijmegen and 3 to Excelsior.
NEC Nijmegen: D. Schreuder, 3-4-2-1 · Excelsior: R. den Uil, 3-4-3.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 1.84 for NEC Nijmegen and 1.21 for Excelsior.
NEC Nijmegen had 3 shots on target, Excelsior 5.
NEC Nijmegen had 69% of the ball.
Where the two sides stood before this match
NEC Nijmegen came into it with 10 Eredivisie matches played, scoring 1.7 and conceding 1.8 a match, with 1.91 expected goals for and 1.73 against, and had won 20% of their matches.
Excelsior came into it with 10 Eredivisie matches played, scoring 1.6 and conceding 1.9 a match, with 1.36 expected goals for and 1.79 against, and had won 30% of their matches.
NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior: the match in numbers
| NEC Nijmegen | Match statistics | Excelsior |
|---|---|---|
| 69% | Ball possession | 31% |
| 1.84 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.21 |
| 11 | Total shots | 14 |
| 3 | Shots on target | 5 |
| 2 | Big chances | 5 |
| 673 | Total passes | 296 |
| 86% | Pass accuracy | 72% |
| 2 | Corners | 4 |
| 5 | Fouls | 16 |
| 3 | Offsides | 0 |
| 21 | Tackles | 27 |
| 3 | Saves | 1 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 3 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Noé Lebreton (NEC Nijmegen), rated 7.5 by Sportmonks, with 1 goal.
NEC Nijmegen
- Noé Lebreton 7.5 1 goal
- Adam Tahaui 7.4 1 goal
- Perr Schuurs 7.1 1 assist
- Tobias Storm 7.0
- Willum Thór Willumsson 6.9 1 assist
Excelsior
- Irakli Yegoian 7.3 1 assist
- David Garden 7.1 1 goal
- Eric da Silva Moreira 7.0
- Aymen Sliti 7.0 1 assist
- Valentin Sulzbacher 7.0 1 goal
The lowest-rated starter was Lennard Hartjes at 6.2. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- NEC Nijmegen: SC Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen Saturday 31 October 2026 · Eredivisie
- Excelsior: Excelsior vs FC Twente Sunday 1 November 2026 · Eredivisie
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior
What was the score in NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior?
NEC Nijmegen 2-2 Excelsior (half-time 1-1), Eredivisie, Tuesday 8 September 2026.
Who scored in NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior?
Adam Tahaui 11', David Garden 43', Valentin Sulzbacher 73', Noé Lebreton 90+2'.
Did Moneyball predict NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior correctly?
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Who was man of the match in NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior?
Noé Lebreton, rated 7.5 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed NEC Nijmegen vs Excelsior?
E. Blank.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball Odds writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
Moneyball Odds is a statistical analysis site, not a bookmaker. No model predicts football reliably. For readers aged 18 and over.