Willem II has won the first points of the season. Adrie Koster’s team was 4-0 too strong for Heracles Almelo on Sunday, despite a scoreless score at halftime. The Tilburgmers thus knew a good general towards the Europa League game next Thursday against Rangers FC. Heracles lacked Silvester van der Water, who had signed off with Frank Wormuth on Saturday evening.

The first half in Tilburg was particularly mediocre. It was perhaps significant that there was not four minutes extra time, as the fourth official had initially indicated, but only one. Willem II got enough corners in the first 45 minutes, but each time it didn’t give the Tilburgmers a chance. The best chances were even for Heracles. Sebastien Holmen shot against Jordens Peters and the ball went just wide of his own goal. A Robbin Pröpper effort went straight at Robbin Ruiter.

The second half had barely started or he was already prettier than the first company as a whole. Vangelis Pavlidis got the ball from Trésor Ndayishimiye and curled it nicely into the goal from the edge of the sixteen-metre area. Four minutes later it hit again. Janis Blaswich returned a new effort from Pavlidis, but had no response to Görkem Saglam’s rebound. John Yeboah, who collapsed for Ché Nunnely at half time, got a free pass three minutes later and shot masterfully into the 3-0.

Wormuth chose to use no less than four switches, but that had no effect. Heracles remained poorly defended against the fine soccer of Willem II, who however neglected to allow the scores to increase significantly. Sagram shot at the bar and Pavlidis missed a good chance. Six minutes before time the Greek made his second of the afternoon: via Ndayishimiye and Yenoah the ball ended up at Pavlidis, who didn’t hesitate and made it 4-0.