Willem II reach play-off final after two wins over Almere City
Willem II have secured their place in the promotion/relegation play-off final by beating Almere City for the second time in a matter of days. The Tilburg side won 2-0 at home and will face the Eredivisie's sixteenth-placed side in the final: either FC Volendam or Telstar. The winner of that two-legged tie will play in the Eredivisie next season.
Second win over Almere City in quick succession
Willem II have confirmed their place in the promotion/relegation play-off final. The Brabant side beat Almere City 2-0 at home in Tilburg, repeating the feat they achieved last Wednesday. On that occasion, Willem II won 0-1 away at Almere City thanks to a goal from Samuel Bamba.
Opponents to be decided by FC Volendam and Telstar
In the final, Willem II will face the Eredivisie's sixteenth-placed club. FC Volendam and Telstar meet on Sunday to determine who fills that role. The first leg of the final will be played on Wednesday 20 May in Tilburg, with the return fixture on Saturday 23 May in Volendam or Velsen-Zuid. That match will decide who claims the final Eredivisie ticket for the 2026/27 season.
Goalkeeper blunder opens the scoring
The match got off to an lively start, with both sides creating danger around the opposition penalty area on several occasions. A goal by Almere City forward Marley Dors was ruled out for offside. After an hour of play, the breakthrough finally came for Willem II, though they had a helping hand from their opponents. Almere City goalkeeper Kuijsten attempted to control the ball calmly but lost it to Uriel van Aalst, who had no trouble sliding it into an empty net. Ferdy Druijf went close to an equaliser for Almere City on two occasions but failed to find the target both times.
Red card and second goal seal Almere City's fate
In the closing stages, things completely fell apart for the side from Almere. Substitute Milan de Haan, on the pitch for just a minute, received a red card after a reckless challenge on Calvin Twigt. Almost immediately afterwards, Willem II wrapped up the victory: Amine Et Taibi, who had come on as a replacement for the injured Twigt, fired the ball emphatically into the net to secure their place in the final.
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Source: Via NOS (GNews)
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