Preview: Telstar vs. Go Ahead Eagles - prediction, team news, lineups

Both out of form and struggling for wins, Telstar and Go Ahead Eagles face off in the quarter-final of the KNVB Beker at BUKO Stadion, each looking to secure a spot in the last four.

The defending champions have needed penalties to make it through the last two rounds, while Telstar have been free-scoring in their three victories to reach this stage for the first time since 2001-02.

Match preview

Telstar ended 2025 in fine form, going undefeated throughout December as draws with Heracles (1-1) and NEC (2-2) were followed by consecutive victories over Hoek and NAC Breda, extending the White Lions’ unbeaten run to four matches.

That run followed a similar four-game unbeaten spell (three draws, one win) between late October and late November, before a narrow 2-1 defeat at home to Feyenoord prevented Anthony Correia’s team from stretching that sequence to five.

The White Lions’ return of just one defeat in their final nine league and cup games of 2025 bode well for the start of 2026; however, the North Holland side have now fallen to three defeats in the new year, losing to Ajax (3-2), AZ Alkmaar (1-0) and PEC Zwolle (4-0).

Having suffered more losses in January than they did in the final two months of 2025, Correia will be seeking solutions when they host Go Ahead Eagles this week.

The cup has, at least this season, produced the team’s strongest goalscoring performances, with wins over Lisse (5-0), Hoek (4-1) and Almere City (3-1) carrying De Witte Leeuwen into the competition’s quarter-finals.

Having not reached this stage since the 2001-02 season, when they lost 3-0 to Jong Ajax, the White Lions hope to use their ongoing cup run as a springboard to emulate their 1992 side that reached the semi-finals.

That team may have fallen to Roda in the last four, but this group at least aim to equal that dream run from 34 years ago by taking down the defending champions.

Melvin Boel may not have been in charge of the Deventer-based club last season — with Paul Simonis guiding Kowet to their first-ever KNVB Cup triumph — but he has certainly kept their unbeaten run in the competition going.

Like last season, when the Pride of the IJssel won two penalty shootouts en route to their success, the defending champions have done likewise to reach the last eight, defeating Roda and Heracles on spot kicks to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches.

Despite winning four consecutive shootouts across the past two seasons, Boel could be forgiven for preferring a more straightforward outcome at BUKO Stadion on Thursday.

However, 90-minute success is contingent on Kowet solving their three-month inability to win games in normal time, with their last regulation-time victory coming in early November’s 2-1 success over Feyenoord.

Since then, Go Ahead Eagles have failed to win in 90 minutes in 14 matches across all competitions, drawing nine in that period, and it remains to be seen whether that spell ends at Telstar this week.

Their previous trip to BUKO Stadion earlier this season, though, ended in a 4-2 defeat, possibly dampening the hopes of the travelling fans who had enjoyed three consecutive wins in this fixture between 2019 and 2021 before September’s setback in North Holland.

Telstar KNVB Beker form:

Telstar form (all competitions):

Go Ahead Eagles KNVB Beker form:

Go Ahead Eagles form (all competitions):

Team News

Ronald Koeman Jr was substituted during the weekend’s defeat by Zwolle, making the goalkeeper a doubt for Thursday’s fixture.

Also likely to be absent for the hosts in the cup match are Devon Koswal, Tyrone Owusu and Patrick Brouwer, all of whom remain on the treatment table.

Milan Zonneveld has scored five of Telstar’s 12 goals in the cup, accounting for 41.7% of their total in the competition, and the forward aims to be decisive against Go Ahead Eagles.

While Soren Tengstedt was back on the Go Ahead Eagles bench for the first time since August, the defending KNVB Cup champions are still without Gerrit Nauber (leg), Pim Saathof (knee) and Robbin Weijenberg (knee).

With 10-goal Milan Smit now on loan at Stoke City, the attacking onus falls on Mathis Suray to carry the can for Kowet at the BUKO Stadion.

However, Suray, who has netted 11 goals this season — one of which has come in the domestic cup — has not found the back of the net in four consecutive games, having scored four in the previous three.

Telstar possible starting lineup:

Reiziger; Nwankwo, Offerhaus, Bakker; Noslin, Rossen, Hatenboer, Hardeveld; Van De Kamp, Hetli; Zonneveld

Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:

De Busser; Adelgaard, Van Zwam, Kramer, James; Linthorst, Meulensteen; Slory, Breum, Suray; Edvardsen

We say: Telstar 2-1 Go Ahead Eagles

Telstar have been prolific in the cup this season and will look to exploit a Go Ahead Eagles side that have not won in normal time since November.

Hoping to maintain their excellent cup form in front of goal and avoid a shootout against Kowet, the hosts are tipped to pull off a historic upset in front of their own fans.

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