- Excelsior Rotterdam has won one and lost one of two home Eredivisie games this season, conceding 1.00 goals per game.
- Sparta Rotterdam has won one and lost one of their two away Eredivisie matches this term, scoring 2.00 goals per match away from home.
- Sparta Rotterdam have the better of the recent head-to-head record in the Eredivisie with two wins, one loss and zero draws.
A Rotterdam derby with bite
Sparta Rotterdam are currently double the points of Excelsior Rotterdam after four Eredivisie 2025/2026 rounds and this Rotterdam rivalry game has just that little bit more bite as a result.
Sparta sit ninth in the table on six points, having smashed Go Ahead Eagles 3-0 away and lost 0-4 at home to Feyenoord last time out. Excelsior are down in 16th with just three points on the board after losing 4-1 away at FC Utrecht and earning a gritty 1-0 win at home to FC Twente last weekend.
The two sides have contrasting playing styles and ambitions for 2025/2026, so this Excelsior Rotterdam vs Sparta Rotterdam preview will consider how the battle for midfield dominance and transition play will be crucial to the outcome.
Sparta are the favourites at 2.34 for Sunday’s game, but Excelsior can be backed at 2.98 and there is certainly a case to be made that the home side can earn a point in this one, according to the Excelsior Rotterdam vs Sparta Rotterdam prediction market.
Ruben den Uil has made Excelsior more explosive
Excelsior’s current head coach, Ruben den Uil, took over the job in July 2024 and has quickly transformed the club into a youthful, exciting and energetic side that play with a relentless pressing game.
Their best work is done when they can get their hands on the ball and make quick vertical passes to break the lines, which is in contrast to Sparta who are more of a possession side and like to build up in a more methodical fashion.
Maurice Steijn, who took over at Sparta in November 2024, is slowly turning them into a team that likes to play a more controlled game, using more structured pressing and trying to slow the game down.
But there is still plenty of goal power in their ranks with Tobias Lauritsen scoring two goals in four Eredivisie appearances, while Patrick van Aanholt has added two assists.
Derensili Sanches Fernandes is Excelsior’s leading scorer with one goal in four Eredivisie appearances, and Adam Carlen has provided a spark of creativity with one assist.
When reviewing recent results and tactical changes, the Excelsior Rotterdam vs Sparta Rotterdam prediction is shaped by how effectively each coach implements his strategy.
Sparta should have the edge
This will be a closely fought game, but Sparta have the superior league position and away record to show for their efforts this year, and they have the head-to-head advantage of a 4-2 win at home to Excelsior in Eredivisie 2023/2024.
We’re taking the visitors to win the match, but with both teams to score also looking likely based on recent performances, that’s our preferred bet for this Rotterdam matchup and features among the Excelsior Rotterdam vs Sparta Rotterdam betting tips.
Sparta are a free scoring side on the road with an average of 2.00 goals a game away from home and there’s little to separate these sides this early in the season. Excelsior will have a go and a couple of home goals are likely to be required for them to achieve the draw, making the Excelsior Rotterdam vs Sparta Rotterdam prediction an especially challenging one this week.
