Excelsior host FC Groningen at the Van Donge & De Roo Stadion in Rotterdam on October 11, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 14:45 local time. The Eredivisie fixture brings together two closely matched sides: Excelsior are seventh and Groningen eighth, with both on 11 points after seven matches. They also share identical league records of three wins, two draws and two defeats. Recent results suggest there could be chances at both ends. Excelsior have scored at least once in each of their last 12 Eredivisie matches, while Groningen arrive with a 3-0 win over PEC Zwolle among their recent results.

Excelsior's Recent Form and Key Stats

Excelsior have lost just once in their last five matches, recording two wins and two draws in that spell. Their results include 2-2 draws with Ajax and NEC Nijmegen, victories over Willem II Tilburg and Sparta Rotterdam, and a 1-2 defeat against FC Utrecht. Those two draws showed their ability to respond in matches where the opposition also found the net, although they left Excelsior looking for more points from their recent performances.

Their attacking numbers provide a strong starting point for this Excelsior vs FC Groningen preview. Excelsior have averaged 2.0 goals scored across their last five matches, alongside 1.4 conceded. In the Eredivisie season so far, their averages stand at 2.1 scored and 1.3 conceded per match. They have scored in 12 consecutive league games, and each of their last 16 Eredivisie fixtures has featured more than 1.5 total goals. These are match-goals trends, not claims about Excelsior's scoring alone.

Goals have also been appearing throughout Excelsior's league matches. Each of their last 16 Eredivisie games has contained at least one first-half goal, while 19 of the last 21 have featured a goal after the break. Playing at home gives Excelsior the opportunity to build on their two recent wins, but the goals they have conceded over the last five matches show why keeping Groningen out may be important.

FC Groningen's Recent Form and Key Stats

FC Groningen have taken one win, two draws and two defeats from their last five matches. The standout result in that sequence is their 3-0 victory over PEC Zwolle on September 18. They have also drawn 1-1 with Go Ahead Eagles and 2-2 with FC Twente. Those results offer signs of improvement, though the wider five-match record is less consistent than Excelsior's.

Groningen's recent games have delivered goals for both sides of the scoreline. They have averaged 1.8 goals scored and 2.2 conceded over their last five matches. Their Eredivisie season averages are 2.1 scored and 1.9 conceded per game. That combination helps explain why the visitors can pose a threat in Rotterdam while still facing questions about their ability to limit Excelsior's chances.

The away-match trends are particularly relevant. Each of Groningen's last 18 Eredivisie away fixtures has featured more than 1.5 total goals, and each of their last 19 league away games has contained a second-half goal. Across all competitions, their last 20 away matches have also had a goal after half-time. More than 1.5 goals have been scored in Groningen's last 12 Eredivisie matches, with at least one first-half goal in every game of that run.

Excelsior vs FC Groningen Match Analysis

There is little to separate these teams on points or their overall league records, but their last five matches show a contrast: Excelsior have lost once, while Groningen have lost twice. The hosts' scoring streak points to a test for a visiting side that has conceded an average of 2.2 goals across its last five games. Groningen, meanwhile, have scored in their recent draws and produced three goals against PEC Zwolle, so Excelsior have reason to be mindful of the visitors' attack.

Their most recent head-to-head finished 2-3 on May 2, 2026. Across the five meetings covered by the supplied head-to-head record, Excelsior have two wins and Groningen three, with no draws. That history adds to the sense of a competitive fixture, but the clearest match pattern comes from the teams' current goals data: both have averaged 2.1 goals scored per Eredivisie game this season, and both have lengthy runs of league matches featuring more than 1.5 total goals.

For this Eredivisie meeting, the question is whether those scoring patterns continue when two teams level on points face one another. Excelsior's run of games with a first-half goal and Groningen's repeated second-half goals away from home suggest that chances need not be confined to one part of the match. With both sides scoring regularly and Groningen conceding more than two goals per game across their last five, the supplied form and statistics support a goals-focused outlook.

Excelsior vs FC Groningen prediction from BetMines: Over 2.5 goals with 60% probability.