Preview: Heerenveen vs FC Volendam - prediction, team news, lineups

Heerenveen and FC Volendam will kick off their Eredivisie campaigns with a clash at the Abe Lenstra Stadion on Saturday.

Both sides will be aiming to make a strong impression on opening day, with the hosts looking to push into the top half this season and the visitors hoping to avoid another immediate return to the second tier.

Match preview

The Super Frisians finished the 2024-25 Eredivisie season in ninth place with 43 points from 34 matches, as their tally of 12 wins was undercut by 15 losses, while they also posted just seven draws.

In addition, they managed to score 42 goals but shipped 57, a sign of the imbalance that ultimately left them outside the European places.

A major storyline last season was the sudden departure of Robin van Persie, who left his role mid-season to take up the reins at Feyenoord. That departure left Heerenveen scrambling, but Robin Veldman was reappointed in March 2025 and quickly brought stability back to the club.

The 39-year-old now has the chance to begin the new season on his own terms, with a full pre-season under his belt and no European distractions to worry about.

The summer has been one of mixed results, as Heerenveen played five friendlies, picking up just one win - a narrow 1-0 victory over Charleroi alongside three draws and a high-scoring 5-4 loss to Almere City.

Much of the focus in the summer has been on the attack; Heerenveen lost three forwards as Ion Nicolaescu departed for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dimitris Rallis moved to Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok, and Milos Lukovic returned to Strasbourg after a loan spell.

In response, the club moved to bring in Dylan Vente from Hibernian in a deal worth around £870,000, while also snapping up Czech striker Vaclav Sejk on loan from Sparta Prague with an option to buy. Sejk impressed on loan at Roda JC last term, netting eight goals in 15 appearances.

Volendam make their return to the Eredivisie after finishing 17th in the 2023-24 campaign and earning promotion by winning the Eerste Divisie last term. They head into this contest on the back of a rather mixed pre-season campaign: two wins, two draws and two defeats, including a 7-1 thumping of Purmersteijn and a more sobering 6-1 loss to NAC Breda.

Manager Rick Kruys has had the summer to reshape his squad and prepare them for the demands of top-flight football, and the Eel Farmers will be hoping that a relatively young and energetic side can surprise a few this season - the squad has an average age of just 23.9 years, and the club has added some experience and physical presence over the window.

One of the great additions is Ozan Kokcu, a well-travelled midfielder brought in on a free transfer, while exciting prospects Precious Ugwu and Dutch-Nigerian winger Gibson Yah have arrived from Ajax and Utrecht respectively.

Volendam’s last meeting with Heerenveen ended in a humbling 4-0 home loss in February 2024, and while they did manage to win the reverse fixture 2-1 in December 2023, the hosts' 88% victory rate in all of their Eredivisie meetings makes for grim reading.

While the away side will look to ride on youthful energy and enthusiasm, Heerenveen have the advantage of continuity and home support, so the visitors will need to maintain tactical discipline and capitalise on transitions if they are to leave Friesland with anything.

Team News

Heerenveen head into the season opener with a clean bill of health, although right-back Oliver Braude will miss the game due to suspension.

The likes of Brouwers, Trenskow, Rivera and Kersten are expected to play key roles in Veldman’s established 4-2-3-1 setup.

Vente is expected to lead the line, but Sejk could play an important role from the bench. Luuk Brouwers, a summer signing from USL Dunkerque, is also expected to be central to their play in midfield.

Volendam have no injuries or suspensions heading into matchday one, so Kruys is expected to stick with his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, with Brandley Kuwas, Nordin Bukala, Kokcu and Mbuyamba among those likely to start.

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Noppert; Braude, Kersten, Hopland, Petrov; Overeem, Smans; Trenskow, Brouwers, Rivera; Vente

FC Volendam possible starting lineup:

Oevelen; Amevor, Mbuyamba, Leliendal, Payne; Plat, Bukala; Kuwas, Yah, Kokcu; Veerman

We say: Heerenveen 3-0 FC Volendam

With superior quality across the pitch and home advantage on their side, Heerenveen should have enough to secure a comfortable opening-day victory against newly promoted Volendam.

The visitors may struggle to cope with the tempo and organisation of Veldman’s side, especially in transition.

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