Overview
- Excelsior surrendered a 2-1 lead when Noé Lebreton scored in stoppage time to force a 2-2 draw with NEC on Tuesday.
- The match sequence saw Adam Tahaui open for NEC, David Garden level before half, debutant Valentin Sulzbacher put Excelsior ahead in the second half, and Lebreton salvage a point late.
- Sulzbacher scored on his debut and David Garden continued his scoring run, highlighting new and returning players who are driving Excelsior’s unexpected early-season form.
- Tuesday’s draw leaves Excelsior fourth in the Eredivisie and preserves the club’s four-game away winning run that stretches back to last season.
- NEC fielded a rotated B-team in the inhaalduel, a factor that softens the result’s weight, and Excelsior now faces tougher upcoming tests that will better show if the strong start can hold.