GRONINGEN, Netherlands (Interstat) — Sparta Rotterdam scored late and held on to beat Groningen 3-2 on Sunday at Euroborg, using an 85th-minute goal from Andrej Kostic to settle a back-and-forth match. The visitors trailed early, rallied to take the lead, saw Groningen equalize and then found the winning margin when Kostic struck late. Sparta’s victory came after a first half that produced four goals and a second half that remained tense until the closing minutes.

Groningen opened the scoring in the 1st minute when Jacob Ondrejka found the net, giving the home side an early lift. Sparta Rotterdam responded in the 15th minute through Cedric Hatenboer, then moved ahead in the 25th minute when Milan Zonneveld scored. Groningen answered in the 29th minute with a goal from Thom Van Bergen, sending the teams into the break level after a frantic opening half. The four-goal burst left the match poised for a tight finish, with both sides trading possession and probing for openings after the restart.

The match stayed level through much of the second half before Kostic delivered the decisive blow in the 85th minute. Kostic, who played 19 minutes, gave Sparta Rotterdam its third goal and the final advantage. Groningen could not produce a response in the closing minutes, despite late changes and pressure. Sparta’s defense held firm through the final stages, and the visitors closed out the result after Kostic’s late strike. The final minutes included substitutions from both sides as Groningen searched for an equalizer.

Ondrejka scored in the 1st minute for Groningen, while Van Bergen and Zonneveld also scored for the home side. Hatenboer scored for Sparta Rotterdam and was booked in the 75th minute. Hans Hateboer provided an assist for Groningen, as did Brynjolfur Willumsson. Marvin Young recorded an assist for Sparta Rotterdam. Hateboer and Willumsson each helped create Groningen’s goals, while Young set up one of Sparta’s. Kostic’s late goal proved the difference, and Zonneveld’s first-half strike helped Sparta recover from the early deficit.

The match produced four yellow cards. Groningen’s de Jonge was booked in the 5th minute. Sparta Rotterdam’s Martins Indi was cautioned in the 36th, Martes in the 61st and Hatenboer in the 75th. The bookings added to the physical nature of a contest that remained open from the start.

Sparta Rotterdam made substitutions in the 46th, 55th, 71st and 87th minutes, with Verschuren, Toornstra, Babadi, Zonneveld and Van Bergen among the players involved in the changes. Groningen countered with substitutions in the 75th, 83rd and 87th minutes, including Van Bergen, Willumsson, Schreuders, Ondrejka and Rente. The late adjustments could not alter the final result, though they added fresh legs during a tense closing period.

Groningen entered the match after a scoreless draw with Jong Sparta Rotterdam and a 2-0 loss to FC Emmen. Earlier in the campaign, Groningen had drawn Nijmegen 2-2, lost to Ajax 5-2, beaten Excelsior 5-1 and Zwolle 3-0, drawn Go Ahead 1-1 and Twente 2-2, and lost to Sittard 3-2 and PSV 5-1. Sparta Rotterdam had lost to Sittard 3-2 and Ajax 2-1, beaten Willem II 3-2 and drawn G.A. Eagles 3-3. Both teams carried uneven recent form into the match.

The result moved Sparta Rotterdam to two wins, one loss and one draw in the competition, and two wins, two losses and one draw across all competitions. Groningen is now four wins, four losses and three draws in the competition, and four wins, five losses and three draws across all competitions.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 2-2 final. Interstat’s ELO system had given Groningen a 57.7 percent probability to win. Groningen was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5, and the total score of 5 went under the over/under line of 3.5.