Excelsior – AZ Alkmaar

Excelsior host AZ Alkmaar in what promises to be a decisive clash in the top half of the table. The Rotterdam side sit sixth with ten points from six games – three wins, a draw and two defeats, and a modest +6 goal difference (13‑7). Their opponents sit comfortably in second place, having amassed sixteen points from an unbeaten run of six, scoring seventeen and conceding six. The gap in form is stark, but Excelsior’s home advantage could make the encounter tighter than the numbers suggest, especially as both teams look to cement their positions before the winter break. A win for AZ would solidify their chase of the title, while a victory for the hosts could launch a late‑season surge up the standings.