NEC vs Go Ahead Eagles: A Clash of Vulnerabilities

Two teams stuck between promise and vulnerability meet in Nijmegen on Sunday, as NEC host Go Ahead Eagles in round seven of the Eredivisie. Both have shown they can play. Both have shown they can leak. The question is who blinks first.

NEC’s high line, harsh lessons

NEC come into this game off a brutal week. First, a 3-0 defeat away to Cambuur, where Ilyes Hamache struck either side of half time and Iwan Henstra twisted the knife in stoppage time. Then a 5-0 Europa League hammering at Juventus that laid bare the same old problems.

The numbers in Turin looked respectable on the surface. NEC completed 497 passes at 91% accuracy and saw enough of the ball to suggest control. Yet they produced only two shots on target from 11 attempts and were ripped apart repeatedly in behind.

That has become the pattern. A high defensive line stretched again and again, and an attack that cannot turn possession into goals. Eight conceded in two games. None scored.

The dip has coincided with a fitness concern over Clement Bischoff. The winger has been one of NEC’s more productive creative outlets, and his absence or reduced sharpness has blunted their edge in the final third.

Responsibility has fallen heavily on captain Tjaronn Chery. He remains their top scorer in the league with three goals and is still the main reference point in the final third. NEC have also earned two penalties this season, more than any other side in the division, a sign they can still force defenders into mistakes around the box.

But the schedule has taken its toll. Dick Schreuder’s team reached the Champions League qualifying rounds over the summer, and the extra fixtures have stretched a squad that was never deep to begin with. As September wears on, legs are tired, and the cracks are showing.

Go Ahead Eagles: goals at both ends

Go Ahead Eagles arrive in Nijmegen a place and two points better off, sitting ninth with nine points from six games. They are unbeaten in their last two, though those matches underline both their potential and their flaws.

Last time out, they were held 1-1 at home by Groningen. Joseph Oosting’s side slung in 35 crosses and eventually got their reward when Soren Tengstedt levelled in the 82nd minute. The comeback could easily have turned into a win. Stefan Sigurdarson missed a clear late chance that summed up a wider theme: Go Ahead Eagles create plenty, but the finishing does not always keep pace.

Before Groningen, they shared a chaotic 3-3 draw at FC Utrecht and were on the wrong end of a 5-2 scoreline at AZ Alkmaar, either side of a 3-1 home win over ADO Den Haag. Goals follow them everywhere.

Tengstedt has been the standout. He is the Eredivisie’s outright leading scorer with five goals and two assists, drifting in from the right into central areas that defenders hate to track. His movement has repeatedly unpicked back lines that thought they were set.

Behind him, Victor Edvardsen quietly pulls the strings. He created seven chances in the draw with Groningen alone, linking midfield to attack and feeding the runners ahead of him. When Go Ahead Eagles click, it often starts with him finding the right pocket of space.

The problem lies at the other end. Oosting’s side have conceded 13 goals in six league matches. They rarely shut anyone out, so they have had to try to simply outscore opponents rather than control games.

Captain Joris Kramer anchors the back four in front of goalkeeper Kjetil Haug. His passing from deep has become an important release valve when Go Ahead Eagles are pressed high, allowing them to play through pressure instead of just going long. Even so, the defensive unit has not yet found a reliable balance between bravery on the ball and basic solidity.

Team news: stretched NEC, settled visitors

NEC’s injury list offers Schreuder few favours. Emre Mor is out with a groin injury and is not expected back until mid-October. Deveron Fonville remains sidelined with an ankle problem that should keep him out until early October.

Ahmetcan Kaplan is a doubt with a knee issue and is being monitored day-to-day. Pre-match reports also list Clement Bischoff as a fitness concern after the trip to Turin, though that has not been confirmed by the club.

A possible NEC XI could see Polster in goal behind a back line of Kabar, Storm and Sandler. Tahaui, Geiger, Nejasmic and Thomas are candidates to form the midfield band, with Chery and Tadic supporting Sierhuis up front.

Oosting’s selection picture is clearer. Gerrit Nauber remains out as he continues to manage a leg injury, while Pim Saathof is still sidelined with a knee problem. Beyond that, the Go Ahead Eagles coach has a settled core to choose from.

Their likely lineup features Haug in goal, with Sampsted, Dirksen, Kramer and James across the back. Meulensteen and Linthorst should patrol midfield, with Tengstedt, Edvardsen and Suray behind central striker Sigurdarson.

Prediction: goals, gaps, and a razor-thin edge

All signs point to an open game. NEC, for all their recent struggles, still carry threat when Chery and Tadic find space between the lines. They have shown enough going forward to trouble most Eredivisie defences, and Go Ahead Eagles are no exception.

But NEC’s recent record is hard to ignore. Eight conceded without reply in two matches suggests Schreuder will not fix the defensive frailties overnight, especially with a stretched squad.

Go Ahead Eagles have their own issues at the back, yet Tengstedt’s form – five goals and two assists already – gives them a sharper cutting edge in front of goal. With Edvardsen supplying and Sigurdarson desperate to atone for that late miss against Groningen, the visitors carry multiple threats.

Home advantage and NEC’s attacking pedigree should be worth at least a goal, likely from one of Chery or Tadic. The feeling, though, is that Go Ahead Eagles’ greater consistency in the final third tilts a high-scoring contest their way.

NEC 1–2 Go Ahead Eagles. If both sides keep defending like this, it might not be the last wild scoreline either of them sees this season.