NEC’s disappointing Champions League warm‑up despite Tadic’s debut

Today (Vandaag) at the Goffertstadion, NEC suffered a 1‑2 defeat to Sevilla in the Champions League preliminary warm‑up, with Dusan Tadic making his debut for the Nijmegen side. The loss left the Nijmegenaren disappointed despite the home crowd’s hopes.

Dick Schreuder chose to keep Tadic on the bench at the Goffertstadion (Bij). The 37‑year‑old Serbian (Serviër) is nonetheless part of the 22‑man squad that will travel to face Olympiakos on Tuesday evening.

Sevilla entered the match without Nemanja Gudelj and Alexis Sánchez in the lineup, a detail noted by the club’s staff ahead of the game.

In the first half NEC dominated play. Darko Nejasmic (Darko) unleashed a volley that struck the post, and shortly after Sami Ouaissa slipped the ball home to give the Nijmegen team a 1‑0 lead.

Before the break Sevilla equalised through Isaac Romero, and the atmosphere grew tense. An altercation erupted between Tjaronn Chery and Arouna Sangante, prompting Jannick van der Laan to brandish a yellow card.

After the interval Schreuder began rotating his side. Philippe Sandler was withdrawn after thirty minutes and Tadic entered the field as an attacking midfielder, receiving a warm welcome as a former Ajax player.

The game’s intensity faded after the changes, and Sevilla eventually secured a 2‑1 victory. A long ball from Odysseas Vlachodimos found Yassin Moslih, whose attempt on Ibra Sow was saved by Gonzalo Crettaz, before the decisive goal was scored.

With the defeat, NEC now look ahead to their Tuesday clash with Olympiakos, scheduled to kick off at 20:00 in Greece.