Preview: NAC Breda vs FC Volendam - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to pull away from the relegation zone, NAC Breda welcome FC Volendam to the Rat Verlegh Stadion on Saturday evening in round 24 of the 2025-26 Eredivisie campaign.

Both sides recorded crucial victories in their battle for survival last time out, with the hosts edging Heracles 1-0 and the visitors pulling off one of the season’s biggest upsets by defeating PSV Eindhoven 2-1.

Match preview

Having picked up just four of the last 33 points on offer, Breda headed to the Asito Stadium for the challenge of Heracles on Saturday looking to end an 11-game winless streak, and managed to do so thanks to Clint Leemans's 80th-minute penalty.

That result provided a much-needed lift for Carl Hoefkens’s men, who have now climbed off the bottom of the Eredivisie table into 16th place, four points from safety with 11 games remaining.

Despite taking the lead, Parel van het Zuiden were beaten 2–1 in the reverse fixture against Volendam, meaning they have won just one of the last five competitive meetings between the sides.

No team in the Dutch top flight has scored fewer goals than Saturday’s hosts (one) in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season, while Volendam have conceded a whopping 10 goals in the same period, so Breda may well fancy their chances of a fast start.

With another crucial six-pointer against Telstar looming after this weekend's assignment, Breda have a golden opportunity to string together a potentially season-defining winning run—one that could ultimately prove to be the difference between survival and relegation.

After suffering nine consecutive defeats prior to Friday’s encounter, Volendam could have been forgiven for approaching their latest showdown against reigning champions PSV with little hope—yet they stunned the division by securing a 2-1 victory.

That result saw Rick Kruys’s men record back-to-back wins for the first time this season, having previously defeated PEC Zwolle 2-1 on matchday 22, and they now sit five points clear of the relegation zone.

Admittedly, Het Andere Oranje have endured a difficult return to the Eredivisie, but their form over the last five games, during which only Sparta Rotterdam have picked up more points, has breathed new life into their campaign.

Currently on a run of nine matches without a clean sheet, tightening up defensively is the next task for Volendam in their fight for survival—a first away shutout since April 2025 would mark a positive step this weekend.

Hoping to wrap up what has been a productive February on a high, Saturday's visitors will need all the momentum they can get before embarking on a daunting run of matches that sees them face six European hopefuls on the bounce.

NAC Breda Eredivisie form:

FC Volendam Eredivisie form:

FC Volendam form (all competitions):

Team News

Leo Greiml (knee) and Moussa Soumano (ankle) lasted just 36 and 75 minutes respectively in Breda’s last outing against Heracles before being forced off through injury, making their involvement in Saturday’s clash unlikely.

Fredrik Oldrup Jensen is also expected to miss out with a knee problem, while Rio Hillen will serve the second of his two-match suspension following his sending off against SBV Excelsior.

Midfield duo Gibson Yah (knee) and Joel Ideho (hamstring) remain sidelined for Volendam, with the former yet to feature since January 10.

Nordin Bukala, Anthony Descotte and Henk Veerman are also ruled out for the visitors, who have recently welcomed back Yannick Leliendal following a one-match suspension.

Nineteen-year-old Robin van Cruijsen has two goals and an assist in his last four outings and is one to keep an eye on.

NAC Breda possible starting lineup:

Bielica; Kemper, Leemans, Odoi, Valerius; Sowah, Holtby, Balard; Salama, Ayew, Brym

FC Volendam possible starting lineup:

Van Oevelen; Ugwu, Amevor, Verschuren, Leliendal; Kwakman; Pauwels, Kokcu, Bacuna, Ould-Chikh; Kuwas

We say: NAC Breda 2-1 FC Volendam

With so much riding on Saturday's clash, neither team will need any added incentive, and we are expecting an entertaining affair.

Volendam will still be buoyed by their huge win over PSV last time out, but we can see them narrowly falling short against Breda, who should record back-to-back league victories for the first time this season.

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