Heracles Almelo
- Heracles have failed to win any of their last five Eredivisie games (D1, L4).
- Ernest Faber took over as Heracles head coach in December 2025 and introduced a more pragmatic, reactive system that they have adopted in his short time at the helm.
- The Almelo-based side play a 4-2-3-1 system, sitting deep with a rigid low block and attempting to transition quickly from defence to attack or creating chances from set-pieces.
- The hosts average 1.62 goals per home game in the Eredivisie 2025/2026, but have no wins, one draw and two defeats from their last three at home.
Excelsior Rotterdam
- Excelsior are on a five-match losing streak in the Eredivisie (D0, L5).
- He has focused on maintaining a strict structure in his team’s defense and using their discipline and compactness to hurt teams in transition.
Head-to-Head
Heracles won 2-1 at Excelsior in the Eredivisie 2025/2026 in the reverse fixture, but there have been no draws in the last five meetings of the sides, with Heracles claiming three victories and Excelsior two.
Key Players
- Luka Kulenovic has scored the most Eredivisie goals this season for Heracles with five from 24 appearances and can provide a physical target for the hosts in the air.
- Noah Naujoks is Excelsior’s top scorer; he has eight goals in 24 Eredivisie appearances this season, two of which have come in the last five games.
Betting Insights
- Heracles have no form in the home or away record to suggest they can take all three points and neither do Excelsior, but the visitors have won three, drawn three and lost seven away from home in the Eredivisie 2025/2026, scoring 1.08 and conceding 2.08 per away match.
- The bet on both teams to score is set at a short 1.5, while the odds on an away win are a good value 2.65.
Prediction
- Routine win for the visitors would suffice.
- Excelsior’s discipline and superior attacking prowess should see them edge out a win in what could be an end-to-end, high-stakes game on Friday.
