Confidence was there after a narrow defeat against Ajax. But in Groningen on Saturday it was not the Willem II who played against the leader, but the Willem II of the many matches before that. A team without a clear line in the game, without visible passion and the absolute will to win. And so, the Tilburg-squad lost for the thirteenth time in its last fourteen games.
It took half an hour in the Euroborg before the more than two hundred Willem II fans who had traveled with them could really hope for a goal from their club. Ringo Meerveld, the replacement for the badly injured Thijs Oosting, sent Ché Nunnely into the depths with a nice pass. The wing attacker seemed to get one on one with FC Groningen goalie Peter Leeuwenburgh. He hesitated, however, allowing Neraysjo Kasanwirjo to intervene. Gone chance.
Willem II was already looking at a disadvantage at that time. After fifteen minutes of play, Bjorn Meijer headed the ball hard against the ropes. It was preceded by a pinball moment. FC Groningen tried several times to bring the ball hard and low into the penalty area, just as often Willem II managed to clear the ball moderately. Bart van Hintum eventually delivered a good pass, Meijer then left Wellenreuther without a chance: 1-0.
The German goalie, who played in the shirt of Willem II in Groningen match 99, kept his team in the game in the first half by saving a vicious shot by Paulos Abraham. More than five minutes before half-time, Wellenreuther breathed a sigh of relief when Michael de Leeuw hit the ball completely wrong a few meters away from the goal and shot well next to the goal.
Better second half
Willem II showed very little in the first half. In the second half it started the same way, but the game got better and better. In that phase, however, the biggest chance was for the home team. Jorgen Strand Larsen shot the ball towards the far corner, but Wellenreuther got support from Abraham. The FC Groningen player blocked his teammate’s good shot and kept Willem II in the game.
In the final phase, Willem II, with all the associated risks, went more emphatically on the hunt for the equalizer. Jizz Hornkamp shot wide from a promising position, a pass from Görkem Saglam went just wide via a Groningen leg and while falling Hornkamp tried to push the ball back into the goal. For Willem II, there were no real big opportunities for the team of trainer Fred Grim. The biggest opportunity came three minutes before the end, but Driess Saddiki shot wide.
Ghost of relegation
In Tilburg, someone celebrated carnival on Friday as a relegation ghost. With the new defeat, the ghost seems to linger around the Tilburg club for a long time even after carnival. After 24 games, the counter stands at 21 points. That is two more than number sixteen Fortuna Sittard and four more than number seventeen Sparta. However, both teams have only played 22 games. Hekkensluiter PEC Zwolle is on seventeen points after 24 games.