GROESBEEK, Netherlands (Interstat) — De Treffers and Amsterdamsche W opened their league campaigns with a 1-1 draw on Saturday in a Tweede Divisie match that saw a late equalizer cancel out an early lead at Sportpark Zuid.

The result left both teams with identical records to start the season: no wins, no losses and one draw, both in the league and across all competitions. The match defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose game simulator had predicted a 2-1 victory for the hosts and whose ELO rating system gave De Treffers an 83.80 percent probability to win.

The home side, De Treffers, struck first in the 32nd minute. Forward Sebastiaan van Bakel found the net, giving his team an early advantage they would hold for nearly 50 minutes. Van Bakel’s goal was the key offensive contribution for the hosts in the first half.

The match grew increasingly tense as Amsterdamsche W pushed for an equalizer. That pressure resulted in a pair of quick yellow cards. In the 40th minute, Amsterdamsche W substitute Sven Ederveen was booked, followed just two minutes later by a caution for teammate Yanic Wildschut, also a substitute.

Amsterdamsche W’s persistence was finally rewarded in the 81st minute. The crucial play was orchestrated by two substitutes who had just entered the fray. Sven Ederveen, despite his earlier yellow card, provided the assist, setting up fellow substitute Delano Gouda for the tying goal. Gouda’s finish secured a valuable road point for the visitors and negated Van Bakel’s earlier effort for De Treffers.

The late goal solidified the impact of both teams’ benches, with all four key statistical performances coming from substitutes. For the visitors, Ederveen recorded an assist and Gouda scored the goal. For De Treffers, Wildschut registered an assist on Van Bakel’s first-half strike.

Neither side could find a winner in the closing minutes, and the match ended with the points shared. The draw represents a positive, hard-earned result for Amsterdamsche W on the road against a favored opponent. For De Treffers, it marks a missed opportunity to begin the season with a victory at home after holding a lead for the majority of the contest.

Both teams will look to secure their first win of the young season in their next Tweede Divisie fixtures.