Willem II is still in the fight against relegation from the Eredivisie. The Tilburgers settled with FC Dordrecht in the play-offs on Saturday after a thrilling match and a penalty series. Telstar awaits in the final for retention.
Willem II lost 2-1 in Dordrecht on Wednesday and therefore had to win at home. After an entertaining first half, the Brabantians took the required lead (3-1), but FC Dordrecht came back to 3-2 in the final phase.
Just like on Friday at Telstar-FC Den Bosch, extra time was needed. No goals were scored in extra time, so a penalty series followed. Brazilian FC Dordrecht substitute Igor was the only one to miss, giving Willem II a chance to stay in the Eredivisie longer. The fans celebrated the escape with a pitch invasion.
Willem II will face Telstar, number seven of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, in the play-off final next week. The first leg at Telstar’s stadium is on Thursday evening and the return is on Sunday in Tilburg.
FC Dordrecht, which finished fifth this season in the Eerste Divisie, will also play in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie after the summer. The South Hollanders were last active in the Eredivisie in the 2014/2015 season.
Willem II Knows Dream Start with Two Quick Goals
Willem II started with a clear task in the crucial match against FC Dordrecht. The home team had to win to avoid relegation. But the fans in the almost sold-out Koning Willem II Stadium also knew that their team had not won a single victory in 2025. The last victory was on December 22 against NEC (4-1).
In the opening phase, it was not visible that Willem II had been waiting eighteen matches for a success. The team of interim trainer Kristof Aelbrecht had a dream start. After three minutes, Tommy St. Jago blasted the ball from 25 meters straight into the crossbar. Shortly afterwards, the only seventeen-year-old Jens Mathijsen scored his first goal in professional football from a corner: 2-0.
Willem II had quickly made up for the defeat from the first match and taken the lead over two matches. But the Tilburg happiness did not last long. After fifteen minutes, Dordrecht came to 2-1 via Jaden Slory. The Feyenoord mercenary rammed the ball nicely into the far corner after a corner.
After the goal against, it became clear that confidence at Willem II was very fragile. The game of the Brabantians visibly deteriorated, but just before half-time the home supporters could cheer again. Boris Lambert headed in from a free kick by Amine Lachkar: 3-1.
Ezeb Heads Dordrecht to Extension in Final Phase
In the second half, FC Dordrecht tried it with a few attacking substitutions, but chances remained out for a long time. Until ten minutes before the end. FC Dordrecht substitute Jayson Ezeb headed convincingly from a corner by Jari Schuurman: 3-2. It was already the fourth goal of the evening from a restart.
The score was equal again over two matches, so extra time was needed. In the extra thirty minutes, Dordrecht almost came to 3-3 due to a blunder by St. Jago. The Willem II defender headed the ball back incorrectly to Thomas Didillon-Hödl, but the goalkeeper was just able to save.
It remained 3-2, so penalties followed. The first eight penalties were hit, but then Dordrecht player Igor missed. Captain Jesse Bosch then shot Willem II to the play-off final.