Willem II 1-4 NEC Nijmegen: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
Eredivisie Matchday 2 · Saturday 15 August 2026 · Koning Willem II Stadion, Tilburg · referee S. Gözübüyük · full time
Full time: Willem II 1-4 NEC Nijmegen
Willem II 1-4 NEC Nijmegen: NEC Nijmegen took the points in Eredivisie Matchday 2 on Saturday 15 August 2026 at Koning Willem II Stadion. The goals: Adam Tahaui 45+2', Tjaronn Chery 54', Bryan Linssen 64', Kaj Sierhuis 67', Thomas Verheydt 77'.
How NEC Nijmegen won it
NEC Nijmegen struck first through Adam Tahaui in the 45th minute (+2), set up by Clement Bischoff. Tjaronn Chery made it 0-2 to NEC Nijmegen in the 54th minute. Bryan Linssen made it 0-3 to NEC Nijmegen in the 64th minute. Kaj Sierhuis made it 0-4 to NEC Nijmegen in the 67th minute, set up by Tjaronn Chery . Thomas Verheydt made it 1-4 to Willem II in the 77th minute, set up by Hidde ter Avest .
It was 0-1 at half-time.
The referee, S. Gözübüyük, showed 1 yellow card: 1 to Willem II and 0 to NEC Nijmegen.
Willem II: J. Stegeman, 4-4-1-1 · NEC Nijmegen: D. Schreuder, 3-4-2-1.
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 2.85 for Willem II and 1.42 for NEC Nijmegen.
Willem II scored about 1.9 fewer than their chances were worth: poor finishing, or a goalkeeper at his best.
NEC Nijmegen made more of their chances than the xG suggests, by about 2.6 goals.
Willem II created the better chances, 2.85 xG to 1.42, and still lost. On chances alone, the result could easily have gone the other way.
Willem II had 2 shots on target, NEC Nijmegen 10.
Willem II's goalkeeper made 6 saves.
NEC Nijmegen had 68% of the ball and turned it into the win.
Where the two sides stood before this match
Willem II came into it with 10 Eredivisie matches played, scoring 1.0 and conceding 3.2 a match, with 1.32 expected goals for and 2.20 against, and had won 0% of their matches.
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.
Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen: the match in numbers
| Willem II | Match statistics | NEC Nijmegen |
|---|---|---|
| 32% | Ball possession | 68% |
| 2.85 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.42 |
| 9 | Total shots | 21 |
| 2 | Shots on target | 10 |
| 4 | Big chances | 7 |
| 281 | Total passes | 593 |
| 61% | Pass accuracy | 84% |
| 1 | Corners | 2 |
| 10 | Fouls | 14 |
| 0 | Offsides | 3 |
| 15 | Tackles | 15 |
| 6 | Saves | 1 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 0 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Tjaronn Chery (NEC Nijmegen), rated 8.3 by Sportmonks.
Willem II
- Thomas Verheydt 7.4 1 goal
- Hidde ter Avest 7.1
- Karst de Leeuw 7.0
- Devin Haen 6.8
- Jaden Slory 6.6
NEC Nijmegen
- Tjaronn Chery 8.3
- Adam Tahaui 7.9 1 goal
- Clement Bischoff 7.9 1 assist
- Darko Nejasmic 7.7
- Jamiro Monteiro 7.5
The lowest-rated starter was Eser Gürbüz at 6.0. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Willem II: PSV vs Willem II Saturday 31 October 2026 · Eredivisie
- NEC Nijmegen: SC Heerenveen vs NEC Nijmegen Saturday 31 October 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 Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen
What was the score in Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen?
Willem II 1-4 NEC Nijmegen (half-time 0-1), Eredivisie, Saturday 15 August 2026.
Who scored in Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen?
Adam Tahaui 45+2', Tjaronn Chery 54', Bryan Linssen 64', Kaj Sierhuis 67', Thomas Verheydt 77'.
Did Moneyball predict Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen 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 Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen?
Tjaronn Chery, rated 8.3 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Willem II vs NEC Nijmegen?
S. Gözübüyük.
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