Heerenveen vs SBV Excelsior - prediction, team news, lineups

Heerenveen and SBV Excelsior footwear disconnected circular 9 of the 2026-27 Eredivisie play with a gathering astatine the Abe Lenstra Stadion connected Friday evening.

Both teams came distant empty-handed from their respective returns to enactment past clip retired and present question to get themselves backmost connected track.

Match preview

Heerenveen went into the September planetary interruption disconnected the backmost of a 4-0 demolition of Sparta Rotterdam, which snapped a five-game winless run, and they were keen to physique connected that effect successful matchday eight, but a travel to PSV Eindhoven was ever apt to beryllium excessively large a challenge.

Despite creating much clear-cut chances (4-3) than the defending champions, Robin Veldman’s men paid the terms for wasteful finishing, arsenic Guus Til’s opener and Marcus Linday’s ain extremity midway done the 2nd fractional condemned them to a 2-0 defeat.

A nine-point haul from the archetypal 24 disposable marks De Superfriezen’s second-highest tally astatine this signifier since the 2022-23 campaign. Their inclination to commencement seasons dilatory has possibly been their biggest undoing successful the contention for a continental spot.

Since beating FC Twente successful August’s curtain-raiser, Heerenveen person failed to triumph immoderate of their consequent 3 location matches - a important drop-off from their signifier towards the extremity of 2025-26, erstwhile they went unbeaten successful the past 7 games successful beforehand of their fans and dropped lone 4 points.

Not since August 2024 person Friday’s hosts gone 4 location league matches without a win, and Heerenveen volition beryllium anxious to forestall that inclination against an Excelsior broadside who mislaid some league meetings past season.

Having already faced Ajax and PSV this play and acquitted themselves good connected some occasions, fewer would person expected Excelsior’s heaviest decision to travel against Groningen, but the Rotterdam outfit were near red-faced aft a 5-1 thrashing connected Sunday.

The decision continued a downward spiral for Ruben den Uil’s men, who are present winless successful their past 4 outings (D2, L2). It has been an affectional roller coaster for their supporters, having seen the squad triumph 3 of the archetypal 4 gameweeks.

Back connected the road, wherever they person collected 8 of their 11 points, 2nd lone to NEC Nijmegen by percent of full points tally won distant from home, De Roodzwarten are unbeaten successful their past 8 competitory distant matches dating backmost to past season.

With 3 consecutive games connected force territory lying successful hold - starting with the travel to Heerenveen - Excelsior volition fancy their chances of putting unneurotic a decent tally betwixt present and the extremity of October, which sees them sojourn Fortuna Sittard and past MVV Maastricht successful the KNVB Beker.

One of lone 5 Eredivisie teams to person scored successful each league outing this term, Friday’s visitors person shown they person capable firepower up beforehand but indispensable present look to trim their mean of 1.8 goals conceded per crippled astatine the different end.

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

Team News

Dirk Proper has missed the past 3 games with a hamstring wounded and is acceptable to stay Heerenveen's lone guaranteed absentee for Friday’s match.

Mees Hilgers and Mats Egbring some returned to the matchday squad past clip out, with the second adjacent handed a 15-minute cameo.

Despite averaging the third-most shots connected people per crippled successful the part (1.7), Maxence Rivera has conscionable 2 league goals this play and volition request to amended his conversion rate.

Excelsior’s Noah Naujoks has not featured since the opening play against Cambuur, but the midfielder is nearing a return.

Irakli Yegoian has recorded astatine slightest 1 nonstop extremity publication successful each 4 of his side’s distant matches this season, making the Georgian 1 to watch.

Heerenveen imaginable starting lineup:

Klaverboer; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Courtens; Trenskow, Meerveld, Rivera; Vente

SBV Excelsior imaginable starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Janssen, Plug, Widell, Moreira; Hartjes, Meissen, Yegoian; Sliti, Garden, Thorsteinsson

We say: Heerenveen 2-1 SBV Excelsior

Neither broadside volition caput into Friday’s clash afloat confident, but some volition judge they person what it takes to assertion victory.

Heerenveen person had the precocious manus successful this fixture lately and, with the added vantage of location turf, the hosts are backed to borderline a constrictive victory.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.