ROTTERDAM (Interstat) — Sparta Rotterdam erased an early deficit with three goals in an 18-minute span and held off Willem II 3-2 on Saturday at Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel. Willem II struck first in the 17th minute when Tonny Vilhena scored, but Sparta answered and took control before halftime and early in the second half. The result left Sparta Rotterdam with a 1-0-1 record in the competition and across all competitions. Willem II dropped to 0-7-2 in the competition and across all competitions.

Willem II’s lead lasted until the 39th minute, when Jens Toornstra leveled for Sparta. Toornstra’s goal helped settle Sparta after a difficult opening. Toornstra finished with one goal and one assist in 74 minutes before his substitution, and his equalizer changed the match’s momentum. Lushendry Martes put Sparta ahead in the 50th minute, and Milan Zonneveld made it 3-1 in the 57th minute. Zonneveld played the full 90 minutes, scoring once and assisting once while also receiving a yellow card. Martes also played 90 minutes, scored once and was booked. That burst was the decisive stretch: it turned a one-goal deficit into a two-goal cushion and forced Willem II to chase the game.

Willem II responded in the 68th minute when Uriel Van Aalst scored, cutting Sparta’s lead to 3-2. Van Crooij supplied an assist during the match, and Willem II pushed numbers forward late but could not break through. Van Aalst played 81 minutes before his substitution. Vilhena, who scored Willem II’s opener, played 66 minutes before his substitution. Vito Van Crooij played the full 90 minutes for Willem II and supplied an assist; he was also booked. Despite late pressure, Sparta held on through a contentious closing stretch.

The match grew increasingly physical, and the bookings disrupted the flow of the second half. Willem II’s F. Stam was booked in the 41st minute. Sparta’s R. Meijer was cautioned in the 59th. In the 70th minute, Willem II’s Van Crooij and Sparta’s Martes were both booked. Willem II’s T. Verheydt was booked in the 75th, Sparta’s A. Roaldsoy in the 78th, Zonneveld in the 85th and Sparta’s B. Kuipers in the 88th. Willem II’s C. Obi was booked in the third minute of stoppage time. Willem II used substitutions involving Zarrouk and Vilhena in the 66th, Van Aalst and Slory in the 81st, and Dekker in the 88th. Sparta made a change involving Toornstra in the 74th and used substitutions involving Hatenboer and Van Cruijsen in the 83rd. The final stages featured a flurry of cards and substitutions as the game opened up.

The victory gave Sparta its first competition win of the season after its opener, and it kept the Rotterdam club unbeaten in the competition. Willem II remained in search of its first win and has now lost seven and drawn two across all competitions. Willem II’s previous match was a scoreless draw at Jong Sparta Rotterdam, while Sparta had opened with a 3-3 draw at G.A. Eagles. Sparta’s three-goal response came after conceding first, and its ability to score twice in the first 12 minutes of the second half proved the difference. Willem II’s late goal restored tension, but Sparta kept the visitors from finding an equalizer over the final 22 minutes, including stoppage time. The teams combined for nine yellow cards, underscoring the match’s physical finish.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Sparta Rotterdam 2, Willem II 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Sparta Rotterdam with a 94.3 percent probability to win. Sparta Rotterdam had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.25. The total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 3.5.