Excelling in Rotterdam: Excelsior chasing best season in decades

Excelling in Rotterdam: Excelsior chasing best season in decades Rotterdam is certainly a football city. Currently the Eredivisie is home to three teams from the port city. Everyone knows of Feyenoord and many will have heard of Sparta, but the third club from the city is less well known. This season may well change that. After bouncing between the top flight and second tier for the last few seasons, Excelsior Rotterdam have started the season in an unusually strong fashion. After seven games, Excelsior find themselves in the play-off positions. Continuity appears to have been the key for this fantastic start. Robin den Uil was promoted following relegation in 2023/2024 and immediately turned things around. Excelsior won promotion back to the top flight, and under den Uil, were able to avoid an immediate return by finishing 13 th . This season they look to be kicking on, with three wins, two draws and two defeats in just seven games. Given their meagre resources, it is understandable that this success has been built on a style of play that does not rely on Excelsior having the majority of the ball. The side are 14 th in terms of possession according to FotMob data , with just 40.8% per game. That is lower than sides like ADO Den Haag and Cambuur, both newly promoted with the former really struggling to adapt to life back in the Eredivisie. Only PEC Zwolle, Willem II and Fortuna Sittard average less. When they do have the ball, den Uil has the side playing in a direct manner. They lead the league in accurate long balls per match with 31.3. As a result, Excelsior have had to be efficient when they have the ball. So far this season, they have scored 15 goals, with Aymen Sliti and David Garden leading the way with three each. One area of concern may be that they are outscoring their xG numbers by a fair amount, with an xG of 9.7. This may well be what eventually leads them to slide down the table, but their performance at the other end of the pitch may help them maintain their success. Despite allowing sides to have more of the ball, Excelsior have been able to keep things tight at the back, with just nine goals conceded. They have the joint fourth best defence in the league, which averages 10.1 interceptions per match, the third best in the Eredivisie. Given they lack the ball for most of the 90 minutes, this is a decent indicator of how well they are defending. So far, their style of play appears to suit away matches more than home matches. A small sample size to be sure, but they have won just one of their three home games, with two defeats. Away from home they are unbeaten, with two wins and two draws. The success may well continue after the international break. Excelsior face FC Groningen at home before games against SC Heerenveen and Fortuna Sittard away from home. The latter have, like Excelsior, had a good start to the season, so that should be a good indicator of where both sides are after the extended break. GBeNeFN  |  Ben Jackson