NEC Nijmegen host Fortuna Sittard on October 18 in the ninth round of the Eredivisie, with kick-off scheduled for 18:00 local time at Goffertstadion. NEC enter the match 11th with nine points, while Fortuna are seventh with 14. The league positions favour the visitors, but NEC have been given the stronger chance of winning. Recent results and the teams’ scoring records suggest that the contest may be shaped as much by defensive vulnerability as by their differing league form.

NEC Nijmegen’s Recent Form and Key Stats

NEC Nijmegen have gone five league matches without a win. Across their last five matches, they have recorded three draws and two defeats, scoring an average of 0.6 goals and conceding 2.2 per game. Their most recent league victory came in August, a 3-1 win against PEC Zwolle. Since then, a 1-3 defeat to Feyenoord and a 3-0 loss to SC Cambuur have illustrated the difficulties NEC have faced at the back.

There have been more encouraging moments, including a 1-1 draw with Ajax. NEC also drew 1-1 with Levski Sofia on October 15, just three days before this fixture. In the Eredivisie this season, their record stands at two wins, three draws and three defeats, with averages of 1.6 goals scored and 1.8 conceded per match. Turning draws into wins will require an improvement on their recent scoring average without leaving the defence exposed again.

NEC’s longer-term home figures offer a more positive attacking picture. They have scored in each of their last 20 home matches, including their last 15 at home in the Eredivisie. Both teams have scored in NEC’s last 11 home games and in 14 of their last 15 home league fixtures. Those runs show why playing at home could help NEC find a goal, although they have also conceded at least once in each of their last 13 Eredivisie matches.

Fortuna Sittard’s Recent Form and Key Stats

Fortuna Sittard arrive in better recent league form, having taken 10 points from their last five Eredivisie matches. That spell includes 3-2 wins over FC Groningen and ADO Den Haag, plus a 1-0 victory against Willem II Tilburg. Across their last five matches, Fortuna have three wins, one draw and one defeat, averaging 1.6 goals scored and 1.8 conceded. They also drew 1-1 with FC Twente on October 10.

The visitors have won three of their four away matches this season, giving them a strong travelling record ahead of the trip to Nijmegen. Anthony Descotte is among the players identified as providing attacking momentum for Fortuna. Their Eredivisie record of four wins, two draws and two defeats underlines the stronger start they have made compared with NEC, but it does not erase concerns about the number of goals they allow.

Fortuna have conceded at least once in 30 of their last 31 matches and in 29 of their last 30 Eredivisie fixtures. The 1-5 home defeat to Ajax on September 12 was a particularly sharp example of those defensive problems. Although Fortuna have scored an average of 1.8 goals per league match this season, they have conceded 1.9. Their recent wins show they can overcome that imbalance, but NEC’s home scoring streak presents another test.

NEC Nijmegen vs Fortuna Sittard Match Analysis

This Eredivisie match preview brings together contrasting results and similar defensive concerns. NEC have not won in five league games, whereas Fortuna have won three of their last five. Yet NEC have scored in each of their last 15 home league matches, while Fortuna have conceded in 29 of their last 30 Eredivisie games. At the other end, NEC’s run of 13 league matches without a clean sheet gives the visitors reason to expect opportunities of their own.

The broader goal trends reinforce that picture: both teams scored in 26 of NEC’s last 29 Eredivisie matches, and at least two goals have been scored in each of their last 29 league games. At least two goals have also been scored in 25 of Fortuna’s last 26 Eredivisie fixtures. The teams’ most recent head-to-head finished 2-3 on February 28, 2026. NEC’s home advantage and Fortuna’s stronger recent results create a difficult result call, but their supplied scoring and conceding records point clearly to chances at both ends.

NEC Nijmegen vs Fortuna Sittard prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 59% probability.