🏏 Sun, 17 May 2026 14:30 CEST
AZ Alkmaar
vs
NAC Breda
4-2-3-1 vs 5-3-2
Substitutes
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- 8th-placed AZ Alkmaar (46 points) host 17th-placed, relegation-zone NAC Breda (25 points). AZ have played only 30 games, with up to four games still to play, so given the gap to 6th-placed Heerenveen (50 points) and 5th-placed Twente (54 points), a chance at a European place still remains.
- AZ, beaten 0-1 by NAC Breda away in Matchday 4 this season, look for revenge at home. Their last five have been turbulent with L-W-L-W-D, including a heavy 0-3 defeat away at Groningen, but at home they won handsomely 4-0 over Heracles and 2-0 over Fortuna Sittard. Their home strength is the key.
- NAC Breda have been kept from winning with L-D-D-L-L in their last five, languishing 17th on 25 points from 32 games. To escape the drop zone they must close the three-point gap to 16th-placed Volendam (28 points), making wins in the remaining two games essential. They were held scoreless 0-2 by Ajax and 0-2 by Utrecht in their last two games in particular, with a serious lack of goals.
- On the AZ bench are Japan international Seiya Maikuma (right-back, 29) and Rion Ichihara (centre-back, 20), who was named in the J2 Best XI and has just joined from RB Omiya Ardija. Maekuma was named in the 2023 J1 Best XI at Cerezo Osaka and has the credit of shutting down Tottenham's Son Heung-min in the UEFA Europa League. Ichihara is a promising new recruit armed with a 185cm frame and excellent build-up ability.
- Two former AZ players are at NAC Breda, making this a match against their old club. Centre-back R. Hillen (23) is an AZ and Ajax academy product, and right winger K. Sowah (26) is a Ghana international who was on loan at AZ in 2020. Sowah in particular also has experience at Leicester City and Club Brugge, a dangerous presence breaking down the right flank with his pace and dribbling.
- On the NAC Breda bench is 35-year-old veteran and former Germany international L. Holtby. A left-footed attacking midfielder who played for European heavyweights such as Tottenham, Schalke and Hamburger SV, he is expected to be introduced when experience and quality are needed in the push to escape the drop zone.