Utrecht vs Excelsior Prediction and Betting Tips

The Eredivisie returns with a fresh set of fixtures as Utrecht and Excelsior square off at Stadion Galgenwaard on Sunday. Having failed to win the last 11 meetings between the two teams, Ruben den Uil’s men will head into the weekend looking to get one over the hosts and secure their first win since returning to the top flight.

Utrecht placed one foot in the Europa League group stages last Thursday when they secured a 2-0 victory over Zrinjski Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Ron Jans’ side now turn their focus to the Eredivisie, where they kicked off their campaign with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Heracles on August 10, one week before suffering a 2-1 loss against Sparta Rotterdam.

Utrecht head into Sunday’s clash on a run of six wins from their seven games across all competitions this season and will be looking to keep the juggernaut rolling.

On the other hand, Excelsior were denied their first win since returning to the Dutch top flight last time out as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Feyenoord on home turf.

Before that, Uil’s men enjoyed a solid pre-season campaign, where they picked up two wins and one draw from their three matches before kicking off the new Eredivisie campaign with a humbling 5-0 loss at the hands of NEC Nijmegen.

While Excelsior will be looking to get off and running in the league this weekend, next up is the daunting challenge of an opposing side that they have failed to get the better of in any of their last 11 attempts since October 2015.

Utrecht vs Excelsior Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

With 15 wins from the last 26 meetings between the sides, Utrecht have been the dominant side in the history of this fixture.
Excelsior have picked up just wins in that time, while the spoils have been shared on nine occasions.
Excelsior have failed to taste victory in their last 11 games against Jans’ men, losing six and claiming five draws since a 1-0 win in October 2015.
Utrecht are unbeaten in their last seven competitive home matches, picking up six wins and one draw since a 1-0 defeat against NEC Nijmegen in March.

Utrecht vs Excelsior Prediction

Utrecht will be excited to go up against an inferior Excelsior side who have endured a slow start to their long-awaited return to the big leagues.

Given the gulf in quality and depth between the two teams, we are backing Jans’ men to come away with all three points and extend their dominance in this fixture.

Prediction: Utrecht 3-0 Excelsior

Utrecht vs Excelsior Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result - Utrecht to win

Tip 2: Over 2.5 goals - Yes (There have been at least three goals scored in nine of Utrecht’s last 10 matches)

Tip 3: Over 4.5 cards - No (There have been fewer than five bookings in the last five meetings between the two teams)

About the author

Joshua is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda who covers news and match previews. He fell in love with the sport watching Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o win titles at club and international level, and his passion for the sport led him to become a professional football writer. He has an overall professional experience of 5 years.

Joshua supports Chelsea at club level, having witnessed a number of African stars break records with the club. Drogba’s equalizing header and match-winning shootout penalty for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final left a last impact on him. His favorite player is Eden Hazard and favorite manager is Jose Mourinho, who gave him the most joyous days as a Blues supporter. He believes that Cristiano Ronaldo is unlucky to be born in Messi’s era and favors the Argentine in the G.O.A.T. debate.

Joshua also follows the Portuguese Primeira Liga and the Nigeria Professional Football League and loves to play football during his free time. Having attained a B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan, he employs his problem-solving skills in crafting articles while doing extensive research to ensure each article is well thought out and crafted.

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