Sparta Rotterdam is currently number five in the Eredivisie. The team from Rotterdam easily won on their own field against NEC, which after a series of seven draws now received a well-deserved defeat: 2-0. Dirk Abels and Jonathan de Guzman already scored the goals in the first half and Jasper Cillessen, the goalie of the Nijmegen team, didn’t look too good at the 2-0.
Vito van Crooij was missing in the starting eleven at Sparta. The wing attacker, who has already been involved in six goals for the Castle Club this season, was sick all week and even lost five kilos within a few days. In consultation with the technical staff, it was decided that he could take a seat on the reserve bench. As Younes Namli was not present at all, Joshua Kitolano and Koki Saito took their places on the line-up sheet. NEC was on the field with the same eleven players, who had to prevent a draw for the eighth time in a row.
They did, but for NEC in the wrong way. Sparta showed itself to be the most dangerous team and took the lead after seven minutes. From an apparently unjustly given corner kick, the completely detached Abels completed: 1-0. Cillessen had no chance on that bet, but it wasn’t on De Guzman’s bet after half an hour. The midfielder shot in softly and yet the the Dutch international was unable to get his hand behind it enough, so that the margin became two.
Could Jasper Cillessen have prevented the 2-0? ??#spanec pic.twitter.com/Tf98JjozvM
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) October 16, 2022
That 2-0 lead was easily brought to halftime by Sparta, also because NEC was powerless offensively. That remained the case in the second half and that resulted in a not so exciting phase in the match. The Rotterdam-squad didn’t have to attack anymore and the guests could do so little with possession that the game threatened to end like a candle. The public bounced back in the last fifteen minutes due to a number of riots, mainly caused by frustration on the Nijmegen side, but football highlights were not forthcoming.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | V | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AZ | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 23 |
| 2 | Ajax | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 22 |
| 3 | PSV | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 21 |
| 4 | Feyenoord | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 20 |
| 5 | Sparta Rotterdam | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 17 |
| 6 | FC Twente | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 16 |
| 7 | RKC Waalwijk | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 14 |
| 8 | sc Heerenveen | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| 9 | FC Utrecht | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | -1 | 12 |
| 10 | Fortuna Sittard | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -5 | 11 |
| 11 | Excelsior | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | -9 | 10 |
| 12 | NEC | 10 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| 13 | Go Ahead Eagles | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -5 | 9 |
| 14 | Fc Groningen | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -9 | 8 |
| 15 | SC Cambuur | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -9 | 8 |
| 16 | Vitesse | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -10 | 8 |
| 17 | FC Emmen | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -14 | 6 |
| 18 | FC Volendam | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -17 | 6 |