Erik Ten Hag’s Bold Predictions: Almelo Over Amsterdam and Heracles Set for Victory Against NAC

NOS Voetbal•gisteren, 20:53

View the summary of Heracles Almelo – NAC Breda

Heracles Almelo won 2-0 against NAC Breda in a mediocre mid-table match. Belgian Brian De Keersmaecker scored both goals, under the watchful eye of coach Erik ten Hag, who was fired this week.

Thanks to the third win this Premier League season, Heracles is on level terms with the club from Breda, who came out on the short end of the stick for the tenth time in eleven meetings in Almelo.

NOS

The visitors from Breda started the match as the proud number seven in the Premier League and that is more than what the team of Belgian coach Carl Hoefkens had bargained for.

Last Tuesday, NAC was put back on the ground when it was mercilessly knocked out of the cup by the amateurs of Barendrecht.

Heracles – which lost its last Premier League match 5-0 to regional rival FC Twente – also had a difficult time with the amateurs of Winterswijk, but survived (1-0).

Fireworks

The match in Almelo started with a beautiful fireworks show, but on the natural grass field again this season, fireworks did not appear for a long time.

Only Mario Engels, who authored a wonderful goal from his own half in the previous home match against Ajax, came close to scoring. This time the German’s effort went just wide.

Pro Shots Mario Engels on the ball on behalf of Heracles Almelo against NAC Breda.

NAC defended well, but offered nothing offensively. After half an hour, only Leo Sauer had been equally threatening, but the Feyenoord mercenary came across goalkeeper Fabian de Keijzer.

Neither team deserved a lead, but Heracles still went into the dressing room smiling at halftime. After a clumsy tackle by Adem Kaied on Mario Engels, the ball hit the spot.

Brian De Keersmaecker then scored the penalty flawlessly. Just before half time, the Belgian forced NAC goalkeeper Daniel Bjelica to make a save from a distance and thus secured a leading role in the not too exciting summary of the first half.

Pro ShotsBrian De Keersmaecker shoots Heracles from the spot to make it 1-0.

The second half in Almelo also did not start promisingly for the neutral spectator. One of them was Erik ten Hag, the former coach of Manchester United since this week.

As a true fan, he chose Heracles-NAC over the top match in Amsterdam of his old love Ajax against PSV, although the travel time for the Twente trainer may also have played a role.

NOSTtrainer Erik ten Hag in the stands in Almelo at Heracles – NAC Breda.

Pleasantly surprised, Ten Hag, who played for rival FC Twente for years, watched as Heracles suddenly made it 2-0. Once again captain De Keersmaecker was the goal scorer, but the question is whether his effort was intended as a goal attempt or as a cross.

Anyway, the way the ball fluttered over goalkeeper Bjelica into the far corner was particularly beautiful.

De Keersmaecker after beauty against NAC: ‘Just be honest, I wasn’t aware’

With that the match was decided, especially after goalkeeper De Keijzer had beautifully defused a sparing attack by NAC ten minutes before the end.