NAC Breda vs. Volendam – News and Probable Lineups

Looking to move away from the relegation zone, NAC Breda hosts FC Volendam at the Rat Verlegh Stadion on Saturday evening for round 24 of the 2025-26 Eredivisie season.

Both teams achieved vital victories in their quest for survival last time, with the home side narrowly defeating Heracles 1-0 and the visitors pulling off a significant upset by beating PSV Eindhoven 2-1.

Match overview

After securing only four points from the last 33 available, Breda approached their match at the Asito Stadium against Heracles on Saturday hoping to end an 11-game winless run, and they managed to do it thanks to Clint Leemans’s penalty in the 80th minute.

This victory gave much-needed morale to Carl Hoefkens’s squad, allowing them to escape the bottom of the Eredivisie standings and move to 16th place, just four points adrift of safety with 11 matches left.

Despite taking an early lead, Parel van het Zuiden suffered a 2–1 loss in their previous encounter with Volendam, meaning they have managed only one win in the last five competitive matches between the two clubs.

No team in the Dutch top flight has netted fewer goals than Breda (one) in the first 15 minutes of matches this season, while Volendam has conceded an alarming 10 goals during the same timeframe, suggesting Breda may seek a quick start.

With a crucial six-pointer against Telstar coming up after this weekend’s match, Breda has a prime opportunity to initiate a potentially pivotal winning streak that might ultimately determine their fate regarding relegation.

Following nine consecutive losses before Friday’s match, Volendam could have been expected to approach their latest fixture against reigning champions PSV with little optimism—yet they defied expectations by winning 2-1.

This result marked the first time this season that Rick Kruys’s side has recorded back-to-back wins, having previously defeated PEC Zwolle 2-1 on matchday 22, which now places them five points above the relegation zone.

Although Het Andere Oranje have experienced a challenging return to the Eredivisie, their performance in the last five matches, where only Sparta Rotterdam has garnered more points, has rejuvenated their campaign.

Currently enduring a streak of nine matches without a clean sheet, strengthening their defence is the next step for Volendam in their fight for survival—a first shutout away from home since April 2025 would be a significant boost this weekend.

Wishing to conclude what has been a productive February on a high note, Saturday’s visitors will need every advantage possible as they face a daunting series of matches against six European contenders consecutively.

Team News

Leo Greiml (knee) and Moussa Soumano (ankle) were forced off early in Breda’s last match against Heracles after just 36 and 75 minutes respectively due to injury, making their participation in Saturday’s game doubtful.

Fredrik Oldrup Jensen is also set to miss out with a knee issue, while Rio Hillen will be serving the second match of his two-game suspension following his red card against SBV Excelsior.

In Volendam’s midfield, Gibson Yah (knee) and Joel Ideho (hamstring) remain unavailable, with the former not having played since January 10.

Nordin Bukala, Anthony Descotte, and Henk Veerman are also unavailable for the visitors, although they have recently seen Yannick Leliendal return following a one-match ban.

Nineteen-year-old Robin van Cruijsen is worth watching, having contributed two goals and one assist in his last four appearances.

NAC Breda probable starting XI:

Bielica; Kemper, Leemans, Odoi, Valerius; Sowah, Holtby, Balard; Salama, Ayew, Brym

FC Volendam probable starting XI:

Van Oevelen; Ugwu, Amevor, Verschuren, Leliendal; Pauwels, Kokcu, Bacuna, Ould-Chikh; Kuwas

With so much at stake in Saturday’s encounter, both teams will have plenty of motivation and we anticipate an exciting match.

Although Volendam will still be energized by their remarkable victory over PSV last time out, we believe they may narrowly fall short against Breda, who should secure back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.