Preview: KNVB Cup final: AZ Alkmaar vs. NEC - prediction, team news, lineups

Beaten finalists a year ago, AZ Alkmaar are back in the KNVB Beker final, where they face free-scoring NEC in Sunday’s decider as they aim to right the wrongs of 2025’s defeat to Go Ahead Eagles.

The Alkmaar heavyweights are seeking their first domestic cup triumph since 2013, while their opponents aim to clinch a maiden victory in the competition at their sixth attempt.

Match preview

One would forgive AZ supporters for dreading deja vu ahead of another appearance in the domestic cup final, 12 months after they lost to Go Ahead Eagles, having come seconds away from claiming victory before conceding a last-gasp equaliser.

Managed by Maarten Martens at the time, the North Holland club were defeated by a side that earned a first-ever domestic cup success at the expense of the Cheese Farmers, and they hope to avoid a similar outcome against Sunday’s Nijmegen outfit.

Lee-Roy Echteld is in situ this time around, with the interim boss guiding the Alkmaar side to back-to-back domestic cup finals, and the club’s supporters are hoping for a different outcome.

Recent history may fill anyone of an AZ persuasion with dread, given that the Cheese Farmers have lost as many KNVB Cup finals as they have won in recorded history: four apiece.

However, having won their first three title matches in 1978, 1981 and 1982, De Kaasboeren have since been beaten in four of their next five cup finals, including defeats in 2017, 2018 and 12 months ago.

Aiming to carry the momentum of wins over PEC Zwolle (3-1), Ajax (6-0), FC Twente (2-1) and Telstar (2-1) into Sunday, AZ will hope to claim a fifth success at De Kuip where they won their most recent domestic cup crown in 2013 to put last year’s loss behind them.

Defeating NEC will be far from easy, especially considering the Nijmegen outfit’s motivation to draw inspiration from Go Ahead Eagles to become first-time cup champions and a six-match unbeaten run.

Dick Schreuder’s men have embraced an entertaining free-scoring approach for better or worse this term, highlighted by four of their five victories en route to a sixth KNVB Beker title match ending with a one-goal margin of victory.

Of those wins, two have ended 3-2 — a first-round success over third-tier Rijnsburgse Boys and an admirable semi-final comeback win over 11-time champions PSV Eindhoven — while they beat Treffers 2-1 and FC Volendam 1-0.

Unlikely to change their approach for Sunday’s decider, the club from the Gelderland province will hope that their recent wins over AZ stand them in good stead for a maiden cup triumph.

NEC did the double over Sunday’s opponents in this season’s Eredivisie, notching 2-1 and 3-1 wins in Nijmegen and Alkmaar, having claimed just one win in eight previous encounters.

Now seeking a third consecutive victory in this fixture for the first time since securing as many between February 1971 and April 1973, the five-time finalists hope to finally have some domestic cup joy at the sixth time of asking.

AZ Alkmaar KNVB Beker form:

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

NEC KNVB Beker form:

NEC form (all competitions):

Team News

Echteld heavily rotated on Thursday with AZ already 3-0 down in their Europa League quarter-final against Shakhtar Donetsk, but regulars like Wouter Goes, Alexandre Penetra, Kees Smit, Sven Mijnans and Troy Parrott should return to the XI for Sunday’s final.

Parrott has been impressive throughout the Cheese Farmers’ run to the final, scoring four times and assisting three to account for a 53.8% goal involvement ahead of facing NEC.

The Alkmaar giants will be without the sidelined Peer Koopmeiners (calf), January signing Jizz Hornkamp (ankle) and Denso Kasius (leg).

NEC have a healthy squad for their sixth appearance in a domestic cup final, though the six-time finalists will assess Ahmetcan Kaplan.

Unlike AZ, who have relied on Parrott, Schreuder’s team have spread the goals across the team, highlighted by four players — Basar Onal, Kento Shiogai, Noe Lebreton and Sami Ouaissa — scoring two each with Onal and Lebreton assisting as many.

The above-mentioned players have all scored match-winning goals during the Nijmegen-based club’s run to the final, and Schreuder will be pleased to have that many game-deciding players in his arsenal.

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Owusu-Oduro; Dijkstra, Goes, Penetra, De Wit; Boogaard, Smit; Jensen, Mijnans, Daal; Parrott

NEC possible starting lineup:

Crettaz; Dasa, Sandler, Nuytinck; Ouaissa, Sano, Nejasmic, Onal; Chery, Lebreton; Linssen

We say: AZ Alkmaar 1-2 NEC

While AZ will be motivated to be victorious this time after last year’s disappointment, NEC’s momentum and recent victories over AZ should feed the Nijmegen-based club’s belief heading into Sunday.

Both teams have previous scars at this stage, but NEC are favoured to finally end their drought without winning the competition, thus inflicting back-to-back final losses on the Cheese Farmers.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.