Preview: PEC Zwolle vs AZ Alkmaar - prediction, team news, lineups

PEC Zwolle welcome AZ Alkmaar to the MAC³PARK Stadion on Saturday, as the Eredivisie resumes following a week dominated by domestic cup action. 

The fixture brings together a home side focused on consolidation after promotion survival battles in recent seasons and an away team pushing to re-establish themselves among the Netherlands’ European contenders.

Match preview

PEC Zwolle’s 2025-26 season has followed a familiar pattern of cautious rebuilding and intermittent progress, as the club, back in the Eredivisie since 2023-24 after relegation in 2022, has focused on maintaining top-flight stability while spending much of the campaign in the lower half of the table.

Henry van der Vegt’s side sit 13th in the Eredivisie with 20 points from 18 matches, and their record of five wins, five draws and eight defeats, alongside 22 goals scored and 39 conceded, highlights a team capable of competing with direct rivals but still struggling defensively and to challenge top-half opposition consistently.

Recent performances have once again underlined those inconsistencies, with Zwolle held to a 1–1 draw away at FC Twente on Saturday after suffering a 2–1 defeat at Excelsior before the winter break in a match that slipped away despite spells of control.

Earlier in December, Zwolle recorded a disciplined 1–0 home win over Fortuna Sittard, but that result was surrounded by heavier setbacks including a 6–1 defeat away to Feyenoord and a 3–1 home loss to AZ Alkmaar in the KNVB Cup, which confirmed their elimination, with a 2–1 league win over Heerenveen standing out as one of their better results in recent months.

Home advantage at the MAC³PARK Stadion has provided only limited relief, as Zwolle have shown an ability to frustrate opponents but have found it difficult to secure positive results against higher-ranked sides.

AZ Alkmaar have also historically been a difficult opponent for the Bluefingers, who have managed just one win in their last 21 meetings, alongside eight draws and 11 defeats, with that sole victory coming in a 2–1 home Eredivisie success in April 2022.

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AZ Alkmaar’s 2025-26 campaign has been driven by ambition and expectation, with European qualification set as the minimum objective as the club looks to balance domestic consistency with continental commitments after narrowly missing out on higher league placement in recent seasons.

Heading into matchday 19, Maarten Martens’s side occupy fifth place in the Eredivisie with 28 points from 17 matches, having recorded eight wins, four draws and five defeats while scoring 32 goals and conceding 28, keeping them within reach of the top four despite dropped points in tight contests.

AZ’s recent form has gathered momentum at a crucial stage of the season, highlighted by a commanding 6–0 victory over Ajax in the KNVB Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday, which represented Ajax’s heaviest competitive cup defeat in decades and showcased AZ’s attacking confidence.

That emphatic cup win followed a 1–0 league victory over FC Volendam, which helped restore momentum after a difficult pre-winter period that also included a chaotic 4–3 away defeat to Fortuna Sittard that exposed both their attacking threat and defensive frailties.

In European competition, the Cheese Farmers have remained competitive in the UEFA Conference League, recording a 3–0 away win over Drita and a goalless home draw with Jagiellonia Bialystok, while domestically they were held to a 2–2 stalemate by Go Ahead Eagles in early December, leaving them with a record of three wins, one draw and two defeats across their last six matches in all competitions.

The scale and authority of the cup victory over Ajax has significantly lifted morale within the squad ahead of this trip to Zwolle, reinforcing AZ’s capacity to dominate high-profile opponents and translate sustained pressure into goals.

PEC Zwolle Eredivisie form:

PEC Zwolle form (all competitions):

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

Team News

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PEC Zwolle head into the fixture with several players still on the injury list, as goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar remains sidelined long term following surgery, and Ody Velanas’s return has been delayed due to a slower-than-expected recovery.

Damian van der Haar is also unavailable after suffering a setback during the winter break, although there was a boost with Olivier Aertssen returning to the matchday squad and making a substitute appearance against FC Twente.

AZ, meanwhile, continue to manage a number of injury concerns, with Denso Kasius and captain Jordy Clasie both ruled out due to ankle problems and Mexx Meerdink remaining sidelined with a groin issue.

The Alkmaar side avoided any fresh setbacks in their emphatic cup win over Ajax, while Seiya Maikuma made his return from a lengthy absence against Volendam on Saturday for his first competitive appearance since last season before remaining an unused substitute against Ajax.

Troy Parrott will head into the fixture full of confidence after scoring a hat-trick in the 6–0 victory over Ajax and will be keen to carry that momentum into league action.

PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:

Graaff; Gooijer, Jensen, McNulty, Floranus; Thomas, Buurmeester, Oosting; Shoretire, Rooij, Kostons

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Owusu-Oduro; De Wit, Goes, Penetra, Chavez; Koopmeiners, Mijnans, Smit; Patati, Jensen, Parrott

We say: PEC Zwolle 1-2 AZ Alkmaar

Despite enjoying extra rest due to their absence from midweek KNVB Beker action, PEC Zwolle have found this fixture particularly challenging in recent seasons, and that pattern is expected to continue on Saturday.

AZ Alkmaar, meanwhile, arrive in confident mood after their historic victory over Ajax and should have enough quality to secure all three points, especially given the clear psychological edge they hold over their hosts heading into the weekend.

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