Azarkan, who opened the score in the 3-0 win on Wednesday evening, had to be substituted before half-time after Schoofs planted his studs on Azarkan’s ribcage. The Feyenoord mercenary landed hard on the artificial turf and had to be lifted off the field with a stretcher. His absence is a big loss for Excelsior: his creativity made him indispensable this season. In 35 games, he was good for 11 goals and 10 assists. Midfielder Julian Baas will take his place tomorrow evening.
Despite the convincing 3-0 victory, nobody dares to get ahead of Woudestein. ,,I expect a bit more resistance from Heracles anyway”, said coach Marinus Dijkhuizen. ,,Wednesday was mentally very tough for them, because they had to switch quickly after Sunday’s disappointment. They will now be startled awake and appear annoyed at the kick-off. It will be survival for them. We have to keep playing to score a goal. If we don’t do that and only shoot balls defensively, we have a problem.”