AZ Alkmaar vs NAC Breda - prediction, team news, lineups

AZ Alkmaar look to extremity a streak of stalemates erstwhile they invited already-relegated NAC Breda to the AFAS Stadion connected Sunday for the last fixture of the 2025–26 Eredivisie season, successful what is efficaciously a dormant rubber affair.

The Cheese Farmers person drawn their past 3 matches, a tally that has mathematically ended their hopes of a top-three finish, portion the 17th-placed Pearl of the South beryllium 4 points adrift of the relegation play-off spot.

Match preview

AZ secured European shot for a seventh consecutive play by beating NEC successful the KNVB Beker last connected April 19, though astatine the clip they inactive harboured hopes of a top-three decorativeness and Champions League qualification.

However, that ambition has since faded for Leeroy Echteld's side, who drew with Go Ahead Eagles and Twente earlier past weekend's 1-1 stalemate astatine Feyenoord, wherever Troy Parrott gave AZ an aboriginal lead, lone for Anis Hadj Moussa to level successful the 57th minute.

That effect leaves the Cheese Farmers sixth successful the Eredivisie table, 4 points adrift of Ajax successful fifth, meaning the Alkmaar nine are acceptable for their lowest decorativeness since ending sixth successful 2016–17.

In fact, AZ could inactive extremity the play arsenic debased arsenic eighth, with FC Utrecht and Heerenveen conscionable a constituent behind, adding immoderate inducement to adjacent retired the run with a location victory.

A instrumentality to AFAS Stadion offers encouragement, with Echteld's broadside winning 4 of their past 5 league matches determination and scoring astatine slightest doubly successful each, with the lone blemish connected that tally being a 2–2 gully against third-placed Twente.

NAC Breda ended an eight-game winless tally (D4, L4) with a 2–0 triumph implicit Heerenveen past weekend, wherever Boy Kemper struck either broadside of half-time, though their relegation was confirmed by results elsewhere earlier the lucifer was completed. bringing their two-year enactment successful the Eredivisie to an end.

That lucifer besides saw Carl Hoefkens' broadside people much than erstwhile successful a crippled for the archetypal clip successful 7 outings since aboriginal March, and they volition purpose to transportation that attacking intent into their last outing against 1 of the division's stronger sides.

However, that whitethorn beryllium hard fixed NAC’s distant form, with conscionable 12 goals scored successful 16 league outings connected the road, with the Breda nine winning lone 1 of those trips (D5, L10).

There is besides small encouragement from the head-to-head record, fixed NAC person mislaid 9 of their past 10 Eredivisie meetings with AZ, including a 1–0 decision successful the reverse fixture this season, though their astir caller sojourn to Alkmaar did extremity successful a 1–1 draw.
 

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

AZ Alkmaar signifier (all competitions):

NAC Breda Eredivisie form:

Team News

AZ stay without attacker Jizz Hornkamp, who has been sidelined since March, portion defender Denso Kasius is simply a large uncertainty aft missing the past 2 matches, and midfielder Kees Smit could besides beryllium absent for a 2nd consecutive game.

Parrott's extremity against Feyenoord took him to 16 league goals for the season, and the Irish guardant volition beryllium aiming to ascent further up the scoring charts.

Left-back Mees de Wit has besides been influential this season, starring the club's assistance charts alongside Sven Mijnans with five.

For NAC, centre-back Leo Greiml remains retired with a enarthrosis injury, portion right-back Boyd Lucassen is besides sidelined.

Midfielder Mohamed Nassoh serves the 2nd crippled of a three-match suspension, and Raul Paula is simply a large uncertainty aft missing the erstwhile match.

Hoefkens could instrumentality with the broadside that won past weekend, with Moussa Soumano and Andre Ayew starring the enactment successful a two-man attack, Lewis Holtby operating conscionable behind, portion Kemper – past weekend's two-goal leader – should proceed astatine near wing-back.

AZ Alkmaar imaginable starting lineup:

Owusu-Oduro; Dijkstra, Goes, Penetra, Chavez; Clasie, Koopmeiners; Daal, Mijnans, Jensen; Parrott

NAC Breda imaginable starting lineup:

Bielica; Odoi, Mahmutovic, Hillen; Kemper, Balard, Holtby, Valerius; Sowah; Ayew, Soumano

We say: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 NAC Breda

Although the fixture carries small consequence, AZ volition privation to debar slipping further down the array and should beryllium motivated to decorativeness powerfully successful beforehand of their location fans.

NAC, meanwhile, volition beryllium keen to motion disconnected their top-flight run connected a affirmative enactment aft past weekend's win, but the hosts' attacking spot astatine the AFAS Stadion should beryllium decisive.
 

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.