On Saturday evening, FC Utrecht finally succeeded in turning a home game in the Eredivisie into a win. The team of René Hake, who lost the last three home matches with his team, was helped by Sven van Beek, who set a new record in the Eredivisie with his seventh own goal: 3-2. Never before has someone outwitted his own goalkeeper seven times. Willem II lacked trainer Zeljko Petrovic, who is struggling with an acute hernia. The trainer has to undergo surgery in the hospital and was replaced against Utrecht by assistant trainer Gery Vink. Utrecht has taken sixth place more firmly in its hands thanks to the victory. Willem II remains fifteenth.
Judging by the statistics, Utrecht had little to worry about the duel with Willem II, as the Brabanders are the favorite opponent of the team from the Dom City with 37 victories. Also this time it was soon hit for Utrecht. Django Warmerdam steamed up on the left side of the field, kept the overview and pushed the ball into Sander van de Streek’s feet. The latter turned on his axis and then placed the ball in the right corner with the inside of the foot controlled: 1-0. Just before half time, the home team doubled the score, when Van Beek outwitted his own goalkeeper from a header from a corner kick by Adam Maher.
In the second half Willem II performed significantly better and Vink’s team brought the tension back into the game after fifteen minutes of play. From a corner kick by Mike Trésor Ndayishimiye on the right side of the field, Sebastian Holmén headed home in the left corner. Utrecht then tried to pull the game back to itself and succeeded quite well, as Hake’s team was considerably fiercer in the duels and thus also managed to force a third goal. Joris van Overeem won his personal duel in midfield and sent Van de Streek away, after which the latter put Gyrano Kerk in position to score: 3-1.
Willem II appeared to have been defeated by that blow, but straightened up once more and broke through on the left side of the field, where Derrick Köhn received the ball, crossed hard and saw Kwasi Wriedt get his right foot against the ball from close range. Ten minutes before the end, the Tilburg team got the belief that there might be a result to be achieved in the Dom city, but it did not get further than a tying goal. Kerk had a good opportunity in the absolute final phase to definitively end the game, but he failed and saw his shot go wide.