ALMELO, Netherlands (Interstat) — Heracles opened its Eredivisie campaign with a 2-1 victory over Fortuna Sittard on Sunday, overcoming an early deficit with two goals in seven minutes before halftime at Erve Asito.

The match, played Feb. 1, 2026, saw the visiting Fortuna side strike first but ultimately fall as Heracles capitalized on its momentum to secure three points.

Fortuna Sittard took a surprise lead in the 26th minute. Midfielder Ajdin Hrustic provided the breakthrough, finishing a move to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The goal marked a strong start for Fortuna Sittard, which sought an upset on the road.

The lead was short-lived. Heracles responded just 11 minutes later. In the 37th minute, forward Kaj Sierhuis found the net to level the score at 1-1. The equalizer was assisted by substitute Justin Hubner, who had entered the match earlier.

Heracles completed the turnaround before the break. In the 44th minute, defender Alèc Van Hoorenbeeck scored what proved to be the decisive goal, putting the home side ahead 2-1. The assist came from midfielder Naci Ünüvar, who orchestrated the set-piece opportunity.

The second half was a more fractious affair, with five yellow cards issued after the restart. Fortuna Sittard’s Shawn Adewoye was booked in the 56th minute, followed by Heracles’ Ünüvar in the 58th and Fortuna’s Iván Márquez in the 60th. Fortuna’s Walid Ould-Chikh received a late caution in the 90th minute. The first booking of the match went to Heracles’ Hubner in the 33rd minute.

Fortuna Sittard pressed for an equalizer but could not break down a resolute Heracles defense a second time. The final whistle confirmed a winning start for the Almelo-based club.

The result aligns with the pre-match projection from Interstat, whose game simulator had forecast a 2-1 victory for Heracles. The same service’s ELO system gave Heracles a 57.10 percent probability of winning the contest.

With the victory, Heracles begins its season in the Dutch top flight with one win and no losses. Fortuna Sittard starts with one loss and no wins. Both clubs’ records across all competitions mirror their Eredivisie standings after this opening fixture.

The match was organized by the Eredivisie, the premier professional football league in the Netherlands.