Match Report
Before the match
Heerenveen came into the game with three wins, one draw and one defeat from their last five outings, scoring 11 goals and conceding four, keeping three clean sheets. On 24 October, Heerenveen recorded a 3-2 win visiting Den Haag; their biggest win in that spell was 4-0 at home to Excelsior on 16 October.
Eredivisie, 24 October brought an away meeting with Den Haag; Heerenveen won 3-2, a return of three goals scored and two conceded. Heerenveen hosted Excelsior on 16 October (Eredivisie) and won 4-0; their goals totalled four, compared with zero conceded. PSV hosted Heerenveen (Eredivisie) on 9 October. For Heerenveen, the score was 0-2: zero goals scored, two allowed. 4-0 was Heerenveen's result against Sparta on 19 September (Eredivisie), playing away from home; Heerenveen won, with four scored to zero conceded. The 13 September fixture (Eredivisie) paired Heerenveen with Telstar. Heerenveen drew 0-0 at home, netting zero goals while conceding zero.
Heerenveen: 7th, 15 points, ten matches in the calculated Eredivisie standings at kickoff.
NEC arrived without a win in their last five outings, recording four draws and one defeat, scoring six goals and conceding nine. A 2-2 draw at home to Groningen (25 October) was their most recent result.
25 October: NEC drew 2-2 against Groningen at home in Eredivisie, scoring two goals and allowing two. Against Sittard in Eredivisie, NEC scored two and conceded two on 18 October; the at home result was 2-2. NEC's away from home game on 10 October (Eredivisie) ended 1-1 against Ajax, with one goal for and one against. On 20 September, Go Ahead faced NEC in Eredivisie: NEC drew 1-1 at home, having scored one and conceded one. Eredivisie, 12 September brought an away meeting with Cambuur; NEC lost 0-3, a return of zero goals scored and three conceded.
NEC: 12th, 11 points, ten matches in the calculated Eredivisie standings at kickoff.
The last two recorded meetings were a 2-2 draw at NEC on 22 March and a 3-2 home win for Heerenveen on 21 September 2025.
After the match
Heerenveen edged past NEC 1-0 on 31 October 2026. Dylan Vente opened the scoring 66 minutes into the game for Heerenveen, set up by Levi Smans, to make it 1-0. Clement Bischoff (32'), Oliver Braude (32'), Bryan Linssen (34'), Vasilios Zagaritis (43'), Marcus Linday (61') and Ayodele Thomas (85') were booked. The card tally for Heerenveen was three yellow cards. Heerenveen made four changes. NEC picked up three yellow cards. NEC: five substitutions. After coming on for NEC in minute 73, Ayodele Thomas was booked. A clean sheet for Heerenveen.