AZ Alkmaar will now aim to respond to their recent cup heartbreak and claw their way back into Europe through the crooked Eredivisie path, beginning with a round 30 clash against NAC Breda at AFAS Stadion on Thursday.
The Cheese Farmers suffered a crushing penalty defeat to Go Ahead Eagles in the KNVB Beker final on Monday, marking their third consecutive loss at the competition's showpiece and extending a frustrating pattern of near misses.
Match preview
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AZ's previous heartbreaks in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns were compounded by Monday's collapse, which saw them within touching distance of their first KNVB trophy since the 2012-13 season before it slipped from their grasp once again.
Troy Parrott had edged the Cheese Farmers ahead from the spot in the 54th minute, but Maarten Martens's side conceded a penalty of their own deep into stoppage time, with Mats Deijl converting to drag the tie into extra time, where the Alkmaar outfit eventually succumbed in a nerve-shredding shootout.
That setback means the Eredivisie remains their only remaining path to European football this season, a route that looked far more promising before their Europa League exit just over a month ago, which seemed to spark a steep downturn.
Despite edging Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at the AFAS, De Kaasboeren were dumped out of the quarter-final stage after suffering a 3-1 defeat in London, and the blow appeared to knock the wind from their sails.
Since then, AZ have gone six matches without a win across all competitions, with the latest setback coming in the cup final and the other five in the league, a miserable sequence that has seen them slip further off the continental pace.
Their Eredivisie form reads three straight draws followed by back-to-back defeats, leaving Martens's men clinging to sixth in the playoff position – while a 13-point gap separates them from fourth-placed FC Utrecht, who occupy the Europa League second qualifying round place and have also played one match more.
That puts Thursday's fixture firmly in the must-win category, although AZ will take encouragement from their dominant head-to-head record, having beaten NAC in each of the past eight top-flight meetings between the sides, including a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture, though De Kaasboeren must sharpen their edge at the AFAS.
Their recent showings at the ground have been underwhelming, with no wins in their last two outings on their own turf, where they have picked up 23 points from a possible 42, leaving the Cheese Farmers only ninth in the home league table.
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For NAC, pulling off consecutive victories at the AFAS for the first time since their three-game winning run between 2008 and 2009 would be a timely boost in a campaign where every point matters as they battle to avoid the drop.
The Breda outfit's last visit to the venue ended in triumph, a 3-1 KNVB Cup win back in 2020 during their stint in the second division, but they are back in the top flight this term and find themselves just above the relegation playoff zone with a seven-point cushion.
A result here would go a long way in firming up their survival push, though recent form paints a worrying picture for Carl Hoefkens's side, who are winless in their last 10 games across all competitions, with six draws and four defeats, including a 1-1 stalemate with Go Ahead last time out.
Their away form is even more alarming, with five losses from the last six league trips, while just two wins and as many draws from 14 matches on the road leave NAC with the third-worst travellers in the division.
Team News
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Only two players are unavailable for the hosts, with Kristijan Belic and Sem Westerveld both sidelined through injury.
After their demanding outing on Monday, Martens may look to freshen up his side, with centre-back Maxim Dekker, full-back Denso Kasius, central midfielder Zico Buurmeester, winger Ibrahim Sadiq and striker Mexx Meerdink all hoping to stake a claim for a starting berth.
Nonetheless, Parrott is expected to lead the line once again, having proven indispensable for AZ this season with 14 league goals to his name – the second-highest tally in the Eredivisie during the 2024-25 campaign.
As for NAC, they will be without three players this week, with Dion Versluis and Boyd Lucassen both ruled out due to injury, while club captain Jan Van den Bergh misses out through suspension.
Van den Bergh received a booking in last week's draw with Go Ahead that pushed him over the yellow card threshold, leaving head coach Hoefkens with at least one forced change to make, and former Fulham defender Terence Kongolo is in line to deputise at the back.
The visitors will once again look to Elias Mar Omarsson and Leo Sauer for attacking inspiration, with the pair having netted seven and six goals, respectively, in the league this season.
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; Wolfe, Indi, Goes, Maikuma; Koopmeiners, Smit; Bommel, Mijnans, Poku; Parrott
NAC Breda possible starting lineup:
Bielica; Kemper, Greiml, Mahmutovic, Valerius, Busi; Sauer, Balard, Leemans, Sowah; Omarsson
We say: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 NAC Breda
AZ may have failed to score in their last two top-flight outings, but facing a NAC side that has leaked 15 goals in their previous six away matches should help reignite their attacking spark, and with the Cheese Farmers's dominant history in this fixture, a home win looks to be on the cards.
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Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
