Cambuur made their return to the Eredivisie after a three-year absence, giving their new Kooi Stadion its top-tier debut.
The Frisian resistance did not last long, however, as Excelsior took the lead after 17 minutes via Georgian midfielder Irakli Yegoian. Noah Naujoks, Excelsior's top scorer last season, added a second goal 14 minutes later, firing the ball past Thijs Jansen in a counter.
The first-half rout was completed by David Garden, who made his professional debut after joining from amateur side Quick Boys during the summer and wasted no time scoring his first goal, heading in a corner from Simon Janssen.
Noah Naujoks added to the hosts' sorrows halfway through the second half, heading in another Simon Janssen corner and catching the out-of-position Thijs Jansen way off his line.
Excelsior thought they'd gone up 5-0 during injury time, but were denied their fifth goal after Ilano Silva Timas was deemed offside during the VAR check. It was a perfect evening for the visitors nonetheless - Excelsior took home a 4-0 win from their season opener, leaving Cambuur Leeuwarden with much to think about.
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