SBV Excelsior and Ajax are both seeking to continue their winning starts to the 2023-24 Eredivisie campaign, when the two sides meet at Stadion Woudestein on Saturday.
The hosts picked up a dramatic victory over NEC in their opening game of the season, while the visitors came from behind to defeat Heracles.
Match preview
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Excelsior will be hoping to kick on after securing survival last term, in what was their first term back in the top flight since suffering relegation in 2019.
Marinus Dijkhuizen's side finished 15th last year with 32 points, four points and one place above FC Emmen in the relegation playoff spot.
If their opening match of the season was anything to go by, then the Kralingers Roodzwarten are in for an entertaining campaign - Excelsior scored a 99th-minute winner, courtesy of Oscar Uddenas, in a seven-goal thriller against NEC.
NEC made a poor start to the game as Nikolas Agrafiotis fired past Jasper Cillessen after just 12 minutes, before the hosts equalised in the 38th minute through a Youri Baas header. Sontje Hansen then put the hosts into the lead with a composed finish into the bottom corner.
Casper Widell marked his debut for Excelsior with a goal as he headed past Cillessen in the 53rd minute to level proceedings, but Koki Ogawa restored NEC's lead with another header, this time from a Lasse Schone corner.
The visitors did not give up and got their reward 15 minutes from the end, as 19-year-old striker Richie Omorowa bagged another equaliser for Excelsior before Uddenas's dramatic stoppage-time winner.
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Meanwhile, Maurice Steijn's official debut as Ajax's head coach ended in victory as they came from behind to defeat Heracles.
The away side surprisingly took the lead when Mario Engels took advantage of some poor defending, but Ajax equalised through Jakov Medic, who fired past Michael Brouwer to mark his debut with a goal.
Mohammed Kudus and Steven Bergwijn (2) then added further misery to the Heracles defence to ensure that Ajax began their campaign with a victory, as they look to improve on their below-par efforts from last season.
Ajax's four-year dominance at the Eredivisie summit came to an end last term as they had to settle for third place – their worst top-flight finish for 14 years
Steijn will be confident of making it back-to-back league victories here, as Ajax have won their last six meetings with Excelsior, scoring 29 goals in that time.
Team News
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Excelsior have been able to keep the majority of their key players from last season at the club over the summer, although they do head into the new term without midfielders Kenzo Goudmijn and Peer Koopmeiners and winger Marouan Azarkan, after all three saw loan spells come to an end.
Oscar Uddenas could be rewarded with a start here after his heroics from the bench last time out, while Serano Seymor and Casper Widell will likely make up the heart of the back four.
As for Ajax, Mohammed Kudus remains strongly linked with a transfer away from the Johan Cruyff Arena with West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion both interested, while Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom has recently completed a move to Amsterdam.
Geronimo Rulli was substituted with a shoulder issue against Heracles and is expected to be out for several months, so Jay Gorter looks set to start between the sticks here.
SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:
Van Gassel; Horemans, Widell, Seymor, Zagre; Baas, El Yaakoubi; Uddenas, Naujoks, Lamprou; Agrafiotis
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Gorter; Rensch, Medic, Hato, Wijndal; Taylor, Van den Boomen, Klaassen; Bergwijn, Brobbey, Borges
We say: SBV Excelsior 0-2 Ajax
Excelsior will enter Saturday's clash in buoyant mood after their dramatic win last weekend, but Ajax's record in this fixture in recent years is difficult to ignore.
Despite the departure of a few key players from last season, we believe that Steijn's side still have enough quality to claim maximum points.
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