Round 3's matchup between Excelsior and NEC was rescheduled to give NEC extra time to prepare for their UEFA Champions League qualifier against Bodo/Glimt.
The hosts started Tuesday night's game on the front foot and scored almost immediately, with Adam Tahaui finding the net from distance in the tenth minute. NEC's lead did not last until half-time, with David Garden prodding home as Irakli Yegoian continued his excellent form with his fourth assist of the campaign.
In an evenly fought-out second half, Excelsior took the lead via debutant Valentin Sulzbacher, who was launched into NEC's box and smashed it past Gonzalo Crettaz with his first touch in the Eredivisie.
NEC really piled up the pressure after Sulzbacher's goal and found the equaliser at long last, with Noe Lebreton securing a point for the Nijmegen side in the second minute of injury time.
Excelsior's draw in Nijmegen meant that the Rotterdam outfit stayed unbeaten in four of their first five Eredivisie games, making it the best start to a top-tier season in club history. NEC, meanwhile, avoided a third straight home defeat in the Eredivisie but still failed to convince in the new season. NEC face Cambuur next before visiting Juventus in the UEFA Europa League next week.
