Dani de Wit scores stoppage-time winner as FC Utrecht beat Excelsior 2-1
Artem Stepanov and Dani de Wit scored in Rotterdam as FC Utrecht earned their first Eredivisie win of the season, moving to five points after six matches.
First league victory under Correia
FC Utrecht recorded their first Eredivisie victory of the season on Sunday afternoon, defeating Excelsior 2-1 in Rotterdam. Manager Anthony Correia's side entered the fixture with two points from their first five matches. Midfielder Dani de Wit scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, tapping the ball home after capitalizing on a misplaced backpass by the host defense. The result moves Utrecht to five points after six rounds, lifting the squad from the bottom section of the league table.
Early pressure and Stepanov opener
The visiting side initiated pressure immediately in Rotterdam. Winger Adrian Blake, earning his first start of the season, hit the goalpost inside the opening minute following an individual run. Forward Ángel Alarcón subsequently broke through on goal but failed to convert the opportunity. Excelsior relied on counter-attacks led by Aymen Sliti, who created two scoring chances in the opening period without finding the net. Utrecht broke the deadlock before the interval when left-back Arthur Zagré advanced and delivered a cross. The ball deflected off Excelsior midfielder Lennart Hartjes into the path of 19-year-old Ukrainian forward Artem Stepanov, who finished to record his fifth goal in five matches.
- Adrian Blake hits the post for FC Utrecht on his first start of the season
- Artem Stepanov scores from Arthur Zagré's cross to give Utrecht a 1-0 lead
- Both managers execute triple substitutions to change their forward lines
- Aymen Sliti scores the equalizer for Excelsior
- Dani de Wit scores the winning goal for FC Utrecht following a defensive error
Second-half substitutions and Excelsior equalizer
Utrecht maintained possession control after the break while Excelsior struggled to build attacking momentum. Alarcón had an opportunity to double the lead, but his chipped effort drifted wide of the target. After an hour of play, Correia replaced his entire front three, introducing Yoann Cathline, Sem van Duijn, and Marius Broholm. Excelsior manager Ruben den Uil responded with a triple substitution of his own to alter his team's attacking shape. The hosts found an equalizer in the 77th minute after Zagré lost concentration and goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas failed to intervene cleanly, allowing Sliti space to score. FC Utrecht midfielder Joris van Overeem entered the match shortly afterward, returning to competitive action after an absence of several weeks.
Stoppage-time decider and season outlook
The match concluded with a decisive mistake in the Rotterdam defense during added time. De Wit intercepted an errant defensive clearance in front of the traveling supporters and scored for the second consecutive fixture. The win concluded a busy week for Utrecht, who had previously converted a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 draw during the resumption of an interrupted match against Go Ahead Eagles behind closed doors on Tuesday. Excelsior, who had matched their best season starts from the 1978/1979 and 2010/2011 seasons with ten points from five matches, missed an opportunity to add to their tally following their 2-2 midweek draw against NEC in Nijmegen. FC Utrecht will travel to play Feyenoord in their next Eredivisie fixture.
