Fortuna Sittard advanced to the second round of the KNVB Cup after a dramatic penalty shootout victory against Sparta Rotterdam following a 2-2 draw, while lower-league sides SC Genemuiden and TOP Oss pulled off upsets in the opening round of fixtures.
Sparta and Fortuna Trade Blows Before Shootout Drama
In the only match of the first round pairing two Eredivisie clubs against one another, Sparta started aggressively at home. Milan Zonneveld opened the scoring in the 15th minute, meeting an accurate cross from Isaac Babadi with a firm header to net his first cup goal of the campaign. Zonneveld entered the match having already scored six league goals this season, continuing a cup scoring record that previously saw him net five times for Telstar and four times for Quick Boys.
🇳🇱 Justin Hubner played 120 minutes when Fortuna Sittard beat Sparta Rotterdam in the KNVB Beker match.Fortuna managed to get rid of Sparta through a penalty shootout with Justin being the one who successfully executed the kick (2-3) 🔝 pic.twitter.com/KN8LpztCwj
Fortuna turned the momentum around after halftime. Kristoffer Peterson equalized shortly after the interval, sweeping a long delivery from Siebe Wylin into the far corner with his first touch. Five minutes later, Lequincio Zeefuik punished an unnecessary venture off his line by Sparta goalkeeper Filip Bednarek, lifting the ball over him to put the visitors ahead. Sparta avoided defeat when Zonneveld headed home his second of the night in the 90th minute from a Marvin Young cross, sending the tie into extra time at 2-2.
With no goals scored in the extra thirty minutes, the contest went to penalties. Anthony Descotte and Zonneveld converted their opening attempts, but the shootout turned decisive on Sparta’s final kick. Andrej Kostic initially converted his spot-kick, but referee Sander van der Eijk ordered a retake. On the second attempt, Fortuna goalkeeper Mattijs Branderhorst blocked Kostic’s shot, sealing a 2-3 shootout win for the visitors.
SC Genemuiden Stuns FC Dordrecht in Five-Goal Thriller
The party of the evening unfolded at Sportpark De Wetering, where third-tier amateur club SC Genemuiden defeated Eerste Divisie side FC Dordrecht 3-2. Thijmen de Lange struck early to give the hosts the lead, before Dordrecht responded through goals from Beni Mpanzu and Robin van Asten.
Sander Egbers shifted the momentum, scoring twice in the second half to complete the comeback for the amateur side. The final whistle prompted a pitch invasion by home supporters.
TOP Oss Edges PEC Zwolle as Upsets Continue
Elsewhere in Overijssel, Eerste Divisie team TOP Oss eliminated Eredivisie club PEC Zwolle with a 1-2 victory. TOP Oss capitalized on an early own goal when Lars Mol inadvertently headed a free kick past his own goalkeeper. Although Delano Vianello leveled for the hosts with a header from a corner kick, Mauresmo Hinoke restored the visitors’ lead shortly after halftime following an assist by Leonel Miguel. PEC Zwolle pushed heavily for an equalizer in the closing stages, but the visitors held firm.
Meanwhile, Excelsior and SC Heerenveen avoided similar upsets. Heerenveen defeated second-division amateur club Excelsior Maassluis 0-2 away, courtesy of second-half goals from Dylan Vente and Jacob Trenskow. Excelsior was 0-3 too strong for MVV Maastricht, with Irakli Yegoian scoring twice—including one penalty—before Aymen Sliti added a third late in the match.
Cup Holders Await Next Round as Schedule Continues
Defending cup holders AZ alongside PSV, Ajax, Feyenoord, NEC, and FC Twente will enter the tournament in the second round. The remaining fixtures of the KNVB Cup first round conclude on Thursday.
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