Sparta Rotterdam vs Willem II 3-2

Sparta Rotterdam came from behind to beat Willem II 3-2 at Sparta Stadium Het Kasteel, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead by half-time and then holding on after the visitors pulled one back. The decisive spell came in the opening minutes of the second half and again after Willem II had responded on 68 minutes.

Tonny Vilhena put Willem II in front in the 17th minute, and Jens Toornstra equalised in the 39th minute to make it 1-1. Sparta then went ahead through Lushendry Martes on 50 minutes, before Milan Zonneveld, from Toornstra's assist, made it 3-1 in the 57th minute. The interval came with the score at 1-1.

Willem II halved the deficit on 68 minutes when Uriël van Aalst scored from Vito van Crooy's pass, after the away side had already made two changes on 66 minutes. Sparta then reshaped its midfield and defence with two substitutions on 74 and 83 minutes, while Willem II also made two more changes on 81 minutes and another on 88. The home side held on through the closing stages despite a growing yellow-card count on both sides.

Sparta had 53% of the ball and 383 passes, compared with Willem II's 47% and 395, but it was the home side that produced more shots, 22 to 13, and more on target, 8 to 4. Sparta also led on expected goals, 3.45 to 1.24, while Willem II had the edge in corners, 4 to 3. Both teams finished level on fouls at 12 apiece, and Sparta's five saves were matched by Willem II's two.

Finn Stam was booked for Willem II in the 41st minute. Sparta's Rogier Meijer was booked on 59 minutes, before yellow cards for Lushendry Martes on 70, Alwande Benedict Roaldsøy on 78, Milan Zonneveld on 85 and Bas Kuipers on 88. Willem II also had cautions for Vito van Crooy on 70, Thomas Verheydt on 75 and Chido Obi in three minutes into stoppage time.