Heerenveen vs Telstar – News and Probable Lineups

On Saturday evening, Heerenveen and Telstar will both be aiming for vital points, albeit for very different motivations, as they meet at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.

The home team is currently eighth in the Eredivisie standings with eight fixtures left, eyeing a spot in European competitions, while their opponents find themselves in the relegation zone.

Match overview

Heerenveen concluded 2025 positively with consecutive 3-0 wins against Sparta Rotterdam and Heracles, but a tough start in 2026 with four matches without victory dimmed expectations.

However, the team managed by Robin Veldman finally kicked off the new year with a 3-1 victory over Go Ahead Eagles on February 11 – the first of four wins in a five-match period, collecting 12 points, just shy of Twente’s 13 during the same stretch.

Now back in the top eight as the season nears its climax, De Superfriezen will be looking to keep up their momentum while fending off the challenges from FC Utrecht and Groningen, who trail by two and three points respectively.

With an average of nearly two and a half goals per game in the past month, Heerenveen has regained their attacking form; however, defensive weaknesses remain with no clean sheets in their last 11 games across all competitions.

Nonetheless, the hosts will be confident of claiming all three points against a Telstar side that has not won in the last seven encounters, including a thrilling 3-2 loss in the reverse fixture last October.

Similar to Heerenveen, Telstar has had a dismal start to 2026, going winless in their first seven league matches and accumulating only three points out of a possible 21.

However, Anthony Correia’s side couldn’t have chosen a better time to start claiming victories as they secured a 3-0 win over NAC Breda in a pivotal relegation battle at the end of February, and began March with a 4-1 triumph against Fortuna Sittard.

This win not only represented their largest Eredivisie victory of the season but also marked the first back-to-back league wins for De Witte Leeuwen this term, moving them up to 16th place.

Currently, Saturday’s visitors would face relegation play-offs to stave off an immediate return to the Eerste Divisie, but with 15th-placed SBV Excelsior just two points ahead, Telstar will be determined to climb out of the bottom three and avoid that additional challenge.

This weekend’s match marks the beginning of six consecutive clashes against current top-10 teams for Telstar, who will seek to maintain control over their top-flight fate prior to their final two games against relegation adversaries Heracles and FC Volendam.

Team News

Midfielder Levi Smans continues to be unavailable due to a knee injury that has limited him to just one appearance this season.

Amourricho van Axel Dongen is also confirmed absent for the home side due to illness, although the 21-year-old is nearing a return to play.

With goals in his last two outings, Luuk Brouwers has now achieved five league goals this season, just one shy of his personal best of six for Heerenveen.

Gerald Alders is expected to miss a third consecutive game due to a head injury, while fellow player Adil Lechkar remains out with a muscle issue.

On the other hand, Nokkvi Thorisson, who registered his first goal for Telstar last match, is a doubt after being withdrawn with a knock against Fortuna.

Heerenveen probable starting XI:

Clover Jack; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Van Overeem; Trenskow, Meerveld, Rivera; Nordas

Telstar probable starting XI:

Koeman; Bakker, Offerhaus, Nwankwo; Hardeveld, Rossen, Hatenboer, Noslin; Van Duijn, Van de Kamp, Hetli

Entering Saturday’s fixture, Heerenveen is the clear favorite, having won four out of their last five matches and maintaining a historically superior head-to-head record against Telstar.

That said, we anticipate the hosts might concede in a 12th consecutive game, but they are likely on course for another win as they continue their resurgence.