NEC Nijmegen salvaged a point in the dying seconds against Fortuna Sittard on Sunday. Willum Thor Willumsson headed home a 93rd-minute equaliser to make it 2-2, after the team had missed a penalty moments earlier. Willumsson's leveller, assisted by Perr Schuurs, followed goals from Kevin Kers and a double from Anthony Descotte, who scored for Fortuna Sittard in the 18th and 48th minutes.
The home side fell behind early. After eighteen minutes, Anthony Descotte headed Fortuna Sittard into the lead from a Rodrigo Guth cross. NEC equalised ten minutes later through Kevin Kers, who finished after work from Dennis Geiger. Shortly after the break, Descotte netted his second of the night, this time assisted by Shiloh ’t Zand.
NEC piled on the pressure but could not find the leveller for a long time. In the final second of normal time, they were handed a golden opportunity. Substitute Mitchel Bakker stepped up to take a penalty, but his effort was saved by goalkeeper M. Branderhorst. In the ensuing attack, two other substitutes combined for the late reprieve. Perr Schuurs delivered a cross from the right which Willumsson met with a decisive header.
This 2-2 home draw on Sunday 18 October followed a string of draws. In their last five matches across all competitions, NEC have recorded zero wins, four draws and one defeat. That run began with a 3-0 defeat at Cambuur on 12 September and included a 1-1 draw with Levski Sofia on 15 October, where Tjaronn Chery was the scorer, and a 1-1 draw at Ajax on 10 October.
Lineup and statistics
Manager Dick Schreuder started with Crettaz in goal and an attack featuring Linssen and Lebreton. In the second half he introduced Bakker, Sierhuis and the eventual match-winners Willumsson and Schuurs. NEC dominated the match with 74 percent possession and 24 shots. Their expected goals (xG) totalled 3.06 against 0.45 for the visitors. Fortuna Sittard received two yellow cards, for ’t Zand and Guth.
The draw means NEC Nijmegen have now drawn four Eredivisie matches in a row. Their last five league games have yielded zero wins, four draws and one defeat. The team remains in mid-table in the standings. Attention now turns to Europe, with an away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday 22 October.
Willum Thor Willumsson, who scored the late equalizer against Fortuna Sittard (2-2) on Sunday, is unhappy with his role at NEC. The Icelandic midfielder said on October 20: "I am not satisfied, I want to play more." Willumsson indicated he is looking around for a potential solution at another club. The player, who arrived in the winter of 2026, is under contract until the summer of 2028. NEC plays Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League on Thursday.
