ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Interstat) — In a frenetic and physical Eredivisie season opener that defied pregame projections, Excelsior and Telstar battled to a 2-2 draw Saturday at Van Donge & De Roo Stadion.

The match, which saw all four goals scored in a blistering 29-minute second-half span, left both clubs with a single point to begin their domestic campaigns. The result contradicted the data from Interstat, whose game simulator had projected a 2-1 Excelsior victory and whose ELO system gave Telstar a 53.2 percent probability to win.

After a cagey and scoreless first half, the game erupted shortly after the restart. Excelsior substitute Jochem van de Kamp, who entered the match at halftime, broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, firing home to send the home supporters into celebration.

The lead was astonishingly short-lived. Just five minutes later, another substitute made an immediate impact, as Telstar’s Nils Rossen found the equalizer in the 57th minute. The rapid response shifted momentum firmly toward the visitors.

Telstar capitalized on that shift in the 75th minute. Midfielder Irakli Yegoian put the visitors ahead, completing a turnaround that seemed to position them for an opening-day road victory. The assist on the goal came from midfielder Lennard Hartjes, who had been shown a yellow card in the 59th minute.

Excelsior, however, demonstrated resilience to claw back. Six minutes after falling behind, the home side leveled the score again in the 81st minute. Midfielder Noah Naujoks was the scorer, ensuring his team would salvage a point. The assist was credited to midfielder Chris Nadje.

The match was marked by a series of cautions as the intensity escalated alongside the scoring. Following Hartjes’ booking, Naujoks received a yellow card in the 72nd minute. Nadje was also booked in the 87th minute as both sides pressed for a late winner that ultimately never materialized.

The draw sets an early identical record for both sides in Eredivisie play. Each team now stands with zero wins, zero losses and one draw. Their overall records across all competitions for the season also mirror that mark.

Key performances emerged from the benches, with substitutes Van de Kamp and Rossen providing crucial goals for their respective sides. In midfield, Noah Naujoks delivered a notable all-around performance for Excelsior, contributing both a goal and an assist in the draw.