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

NEC aim to end their three-match losing run on Sunday when AZ Alkmaar visit Goffertstadion in the seventh round of Eredivisie fixtures.

Dick Schreuder’s team have suffered due to their tendency to outscore the opposition; this approach will be tested against the unbeaten Alkmaar-based visitors so far.

Match preview

NEC began the season winning their first three games, but recent form has been disappointing, with three consecutive defeats.

Their losing run has been notable not only for the lack of clean sheets but also for conceding three or more goals in 3-2 defeats to Fortuna Sittard and Heerenveen — matches played either side of a 5-3 home loss to defending Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven.

These recent results follow the Nijmegen-based club's earlier victories: a 5-0 win over SBV Excelsior, a 4-1 success against Heracles and a 3-0 win versus NAC Breda within the first three weeks of the season.

After keeping clean sheets in both home matches, PSV scored five against Schreuder’s team after the international break in September, making it intriguing to see which version of NEC will emerge on Sunday.

Supporters will hope to see the side that fought back from 3-1 down against AZ to draw 3-3 in March, thus avoiding a third straight defeat to Maarten Martens’s team.

Martens was appointed in January 2024, a month after AZ’s 2-1 victory over NEC in Alkmaar ended the Nijmegen club’s six-year wait for success in this fixture.

The Belgian manager quickly secured two wins over this weekend's opponents and was on course for a third until the club from Gelderland equalised.

Having experienced victory over NEC before, the AZ boss will be hoping his players show their best form and rebound from missing the chance to move from fourth to second in the table earlier in the week.

De Kaasboeren visited PEC Zwolle for a rescheduled gameweek three but twice relinquished the lead to draw 2-2, leaving them fourth in the table on 12 points — level with Ajax, one point behind PSV and four behind league leaders Feyenoord.

With the Cheese Farmers unbeaten away since May — winning four and drawing one — their travelling supporters will be hoping for even more cheer outside Alkmaar this weekend.

NEC Eredivisie form:

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

Team News

Tjaronn Chery was dismissed for violent conduct in NEC's loss at Heerenveen, ruling him out of the match against AZ on Sunday.

Apart from the suspended Chery, the Nijmegen hosts will be without the sidelined Bram Nuytinck (knee), Deveron Fonville (leg) and Jetro Willems (knee), while Jasper Cillessen and Philippe Sandler, both of whom are carrying knocks, will be assessed.

While Chery's three goals will be absent this weekend, NEC have other options up front, with Koki Ogawa and Bryan Linssen aiming to add to their three-goal tallies against the league's fourth-placed team.

AZ have fewer absentees than NEC, although Seiya Maikuma and Troy Parrott's knee injuries should rule both players out of selection in round seven.

Sven Mijnans’s two assists in the 2-2 draw with PEC during the week took his total to four for the season, and the attacking midfielder aims to add to his five goal involvements this weekend.

NEC possible starting lineup:

Crettaz; Pereira, Kaplan, Ouwejan; Ouaissa, Proper, Sano, Misidjan; Van Crooij, Linssen; Ogawa

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Owusu-Oduro; Kasius, Goes, Penetra, De Wit; Koopmeiners, Smit; Patati, Mijnans, Daal; Meerdink