FC Groningen experienced a disappointing 3-2 home defeat against Excelsior on Saturday evening. This painful loss has significantly pressured the club's play-off ambitions. After the match, there was a clear consensus: Excelsior's victory was fully deserved.

The defeat now leaves FC Groningen dependent on Sparta Rotterdam, who will play against Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday afternoon and could reach 45 points with a win. A visibly disappointed Dick Lukkien, FC Groningen's coach, drew one clear conclusion after the match: "They deserved to win. I find it very unfortunate that it doesn't work out precisely at a moment when you're playing for the play-offs. We performed far below our level today."

According to Lukkien, the problem was not with the opponent's tactics. "They defended as we expected; we weren't surprised. They pressed high at times and sometimes dropped back, but we didn't play well enough ourselves. We gave away many unnecessary balls. If you constantly pass the ball to the opponent's feet, you don't get any rhythm in your game. Excelsior hurt us significantly with that several times," the coach stated.

The coach emphasized the necessity of reaching their own performance level. "If we truly want to contend for the play-offs, then you have to win these kinds of matches. It's about reaching your level. If you do, it might even be a draw, but now we're looking at each other asking: how could this happen? Nobody reached their level today. We can do much better, and we didn't show that."

Despite the heavy blow, Dick Lukkien maintains a long-term perspective. "The league table in two weeks will determine how the season has been. You have ups and downs, luck and bad luck, but after 34 matches, the standings never lie. It's tough in the Eredivisie; apart from PSV, anyone can beat anyone, and Excelsior is a team that can pick up points. But what bothers me most is that we ourselves could have done better," he concluded.

Defender Thijmen Blokzijl was visibly frustrated by the defeat but found it difficult to pinpoint the exact issue. "I don't know either. It simply wasn't good enough from our side today," he began. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the goals conceded: "We start fantastically both times, but then concede goals far too easily."