Utrecht vs Willem II: Six Absentees for Hosts
Published
Utrecht meet Willem II in Eredivisie Matchweek 8 on Sunday, 11 October 2026, at Stadion Galgenwaard in Utrecht, with both teams searching for stability after conceding a combined 44 goals across their opening seven matches.
Utrecht missing six players through injury
Utrecht sit 15th in the Eredivisie table with five points from seven games and a goal difference of -13. Their defence has conceded 24 goals, the highest tally in the division, including a 5-0 defeat away at Feyenoord on 20 September and a 6-1 home loss to PSV Eindhoven on 30 August. In their three home league fixtures this season, Utrecht have drawn once and lost twice, conceding 13 goals.
The home side must also manage an extensive injury list. Alonzo Engwanda, Kevin Paredes, Miliano Jonathans, Noah Ohio, Oualid Agougil and Victor Jensen are all ruled out. In attack, Artem Stepanov leads their scoring chart with three goals across all competitions, while the team creates an average of 1.37 expected goals per game and allows 2.17.
Willem II sit bottom after shipping 20 goals
Willem II occupy 18th place with two points from seven matches, scoring six times and conceding 20. Away from home in the league, they have one draw and two defeats from three games, allowing 10 goals in the process. Their most recent outing brought a 1-0 home defeat against Fortuna Sittard on 19 September, preceded by a 5-1 loss away at Ajax on 15 September.
Injuries have thinned the visitors' defensive options as well, with Amine Lachkar, Armin Culum, Justin Hoogma and Thomas Didillon-Hödl sidelined. Devin Haen provides their primary threat in attack with three goals this season. Over their last five matches with chance data, Willem II generated 1.32 expected goals per game while allowing 2.16.
Utrecht edged both recent meetings 3-2
The two most recent encounters between these clubs produced high-scoring outcomes with identical scorelines. Utrecht defeated Willem II 3-2 away on 9 March 2025, repeating the result from 21 September 2024 when Utrecht secured another 3-2 victory at Stadion Galgenwaard.
Our model firmly expects an Utrecht win
Our forecasting model firmly expects an Utrecht win. Although the home side have conceded 13 goals in three home outings and carry six confirmed absences, Willem II arrive with two points from seven matches, zero away wins, and an expected goals allowed figure of 2.16 per match.
