Heracles vs Excelsior prediction 20.03.2026 | Eredivisie

Heracles come into this fixture in poor form, having failed to win any of their last six matches. It has been nearly two months since Ernest Faber’s men last celebrated a victory, when they narrowly beat Fortuna Sittard 2-1. Since then, they have suffered five defeats in six matches, failing to find the back of the net in four of those fixtures, including a 0-0 draw with Utrecht.

Their attacking output has been particularly concerning, with just one goal scored across that stretch, as well as back-to-back games without finding the net. Heracles also possess the third-lowest goalscoring ratio in the Eredivisie, averaging just 1.2 goals per game.

There are also notable injury concerns. Several players are expected to be unavailable, including Mike te Wierik, Walid Ould-Chikh, Luka Kulenovic and Fabian de Keijzer, which further limits squad depth.

Excelsior arrive in similarly poor form, having lost each of their last five matches. This represents a complete contrast to their previous run, during which Ruben den Uil’s men went five games unbeaten, although four of those matches ended in draws. Analysing Excelsior’s most recent stretch, they have taken zero points from those five games, although none of the defeats were by significant margins, with each loss coming by no more than a single goal.

From an attacking perspective, Excelsior have managed only four goals in their last five matches, averaging 0.8 goals per game during that period. Over the full season, they average just over one goal per match, which reflects a lack of cutting edge in the final third.

In terms of availability, Excelsior are also dealing with injuries, including absences such as Calvin Raatsie, Hamdi Akujobi and Miliano Jonathans, which may further impact their already fragile structure.