Willem II 1–6 SC Cambuur | Eredivisie | 24 October 2026

Result Summary

SC Cambuur produced a stunning away performance at the Koning Willem II Stadion, dismantling Willem II with a comprehensive 6–1 victory. Johan Plat's side were ruthless from the opening whistle, establishing a three-goal lead before the 20-minute mark and never relinquishing control. For Willem II and coach John Stegeman, it was a sobering afternoon that exposed serious defensive vulnerabilities in front of their home support.

Match Analysis

The contest was effectively over before it had properly begun. Nicolas Binder opened the scoring in just the 9th minute, finishing with his right foot from a Morgan Costarelli assist. The damage continued at pace — Ilyes Hamache made it 2–0 in the 13th minute, again with Costarelli providing the creative spark, before Ismaël Baouf headed home a third in the 18th minute from a Rafik El Arguioui assist. A VAR check on Baouf's goal at the 19th minute ultimately upheld the decision, and Cambuur's three-goal cushion stood at the interval.

The statistics tell a stark story of efficiency versus wastefulness. Cambuur registered 11 shots on target from 19 total, a remarkable conversion rate, while Willem II could muster only 2 shots on target from 11 attempts despite generating 13 corners and recording 52% ball possession. The hosts attacked with some frequency — logging 129 attacks to Cambuur's 82 — but their inability to test Thijs Jansen meaningfully proved fatal.

The second half brought no respite for Willem II. John Stegeman made a bold triple substitution at half-time, introducing Armin Culum, Thomas Verheydt, and Anass Zarrouk, but Cambuur extended their lead further. Binder struck again in the 58th minute — this time assisted by Hamache — before Rafik El Arguioui added a fifth in the 62nd minute with a right-foot finish. Two yellow cards for Willem II, to Jaden Fernando Slory (45+2') and Hidde ter Avest (53'), reflected their growing frustration throughout the game.

Anass Zarrouk provided a consolation in the 82nd minute, converting from a Devin Haen assist, but it was purely cosmetic. Jason Ceka wrapped up the scoring in the 89th minute with a left-foot finish, assisted by substitute Wiebe Kooistra, to complete a humiliating afternoon for the hosts. Costarelli, who had provided two first-half assists before being substituted in the 65th minute, was arguably Cambuur's standout creative force.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match forecast of a 1–2 Cambuur victory was directionally correct — the away win probability was assessed at 37% — and the prediction outcome is recorded as correct with SC Cambuur winning. However, our model's confidence level of just 33/100 reflected genuine uncertainty, and with good reason given that the true margin of 1–6 far exceeded our projected scoreline. The scale of Cambuur's dominance, particularly their shot-on-target ratio of 11 to 2, was well beyond what our models anticipated.

Key Takeaways

• SC Cambuur were lethal in front of goal, scoring six times from 11 on-target efforts — a masterclass in clinical finishing.
• Willem II's defensive shape was thoroughly exposed, conceding three goals in the opening 18 minutes despite holding the majority of possession.
• Morgan Costarelli and Nicolas Binder were central figures in Cambuur's attacking output before both were withdrawn before the 80-minute mark.
• John Stegeman's side will need urgent defensive improvement; their 17 fouls committed also highlighted a physical and positional brittleness when under pressure.