**Excelsior's on a roll, Utrecht's limping through — this is a proper mismatch on paper.** 🔥 The hosts have won three of their last five and look sharp at home, while Utrecht are bleeding defensive bodies and results alike.

Excelsior's confidence is sky-high after dismantling Willem II and edging Sparta. Utrecht, meanwhile, are stuck in a rut—three losses in five and leaking goals at an alarming rate (conceded 12 in those same five games). Missing three key defenders including M. Jonathans doesn't help their cause.

Key storylines:

- **Excelsior's home form** versus a makeshift Utrecht backline patched together by injury
- **D. Garden and Á. O. Thorsteinsson's attacking thrust** up against a stretched Utrecht defense missing M. Jonathans, N. Ohio, and V. Jensen
- Can **D. De Wit and M. Broholm** create enough chaos in midfield to disrupt Excelsior's rhythm, or will the hosts dictate?

Expected lineups:

- **Excelsior**: S. van Gassel, S. Janssen, R. Meissen, J. Plug, E. d. S. Moreira, C. Widell, I. Yegoian, L. Hartjes, D. Garden, Á. O. Thorsteinsson
- **FC Utrecht**: V. Barkas, A. Zagre, M. Didden, N. Nwankwo, S. Horemans, D. v. d. Berg, G. Offerhaus, Á. Alarcón, D. De Wit, M. Broholm, A. Stepanov

Prediction:

**Excelsior 3–1 FC Utrecht** — home side's form and Utrecht's injury crisis point to a comfortable win. 📍

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