Rotterdam, Netherlands, NED — Joshua Kitolano's second-half strike earned Sparta Rotterdam a share of the points in a hard-fought Eredivisie encounter at Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel.
NEC Nijmegen broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute when Koki Ogawa found the net to reward the visitors' superior possession. The away side controlled 58.9% of the ball and looked poised to claim all three points.
Sparta Rotterdam responded six minutes later through Kitolano, who leveled the score at 1-1 in the 67th minute. The home side showed resilience despite being outpossessed for much of the contest.
Both teams created chances throughout the match, with Sparta registering 13 shots to NEC's 12. The shot accuracy was identical, with each side placing five efforts on target. The balanced shot statistics reflected the competitive nature of the encounter.
GOALS:- 73' Koki Ogawa - NEC Nijmegen- 67' Joshua Kitolano - Sparta Rotterdam
STANDOUT PLAYERS:- Sparta Rotterdam: Joshua Kitolano - Crucial equalizing goal- NEC Nijmegen: Koki Ogawa - Opening goal
KEY STAT: NEC Nijmegen controlled 58.9% possession but couldn't convert territorial dominance into three points, managing only five shots on target from 12 total attempts.