Telstar vs NAC Breda – News and Probable Lineups

On Friday, two teams battling to maintain their Eredivisie status will clash at BUKO Stadion, with Telstar, currently in 17th place, hosting 16th-placed NAC Breda in the 25th round of fixtures.

With just four points separating them and a mere position apart in the league table, a victory for Telstar would bring them closer to surpassing their rivals, who could escape the relegation playoff zone by securing maximum points in this match.

Match overview

Telstar’s winless run into 2026 continued this past Sunday as they were narrowly defeated 2-1 by Feyenoord, who currently sit second in the standings. However, Anthony Correia’s side put up a commendable fight in Rotterdam.

Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp’s early goal in the 14th minute surprised the fans at De Kuip, but Anis Hadj Moussa turned the tide for Robin van Persie’s team by scoring two goals to seal the victory.

Telstar returns to top-tier action shortly after experiencing their 12th loss since their return to the league, aiming to break a seven-match winless streak since their victory over NAC in Breda prior to Christmas.

While their 1-0 win extended the White Lions’ unbeaten run to three at that time, during which they gathered five points from nine possible, four of the subsequent seven fixtures have been losses, despite a generally competitive performance from the North Holland side.

They have only suffered a loss by more than one goal in their 4-1 defeat against PEC Zwolle since December, with just four of their 12 total losses being by two goals or more.

Still, their chances of survival could be hindered by their inability to keep clean sheets, managing only three shutouts throughout the entire season since returning to the top flight.

This recurring issue of conceding goals does not inspire much confidence among Telstar supporters that they can increase their tally of 18 points, especially as they prepare to face NAC, one of the league’s form teams.

In a precarious situation in 17th place, NAC Breda’s position of ninth in the form table over the last five rounds looks promising for Carl Hoefkens’s squad.

Currently placed in the relegation playoff zone, Hoefkens’s men approach Friday’s showdown after amassing eight points from the last 15 points available, suffering just one defeat during this stretch — against SBV Excelsior in early February.

The 2-0 loss to their Rotterdam counterparts came after commendable 2-2 draws against defending Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven and sixth-placed FC Twente, following a narrow 4-3 loss to third-placed NEC.

These results hinted at a revival for NAC, who have since secured back-to-back 1-0 victories against bottom club Heracles and 15th-placed Volendam.

Now facing another relegation-threatened team, another win this weekend — along with a defeat for Volendam against an admittedly struggling Groningen — could see NAC escape the relegation playoff positions.

This aspiration is likely to galvanize the visitors ahead of their trip to North Holland, where they have struggled in past visits to this tier, having previously achieved success in their two earlier trips.

Team News

After no new injuries were reported following the defeat at De Kuip, Devon Koswal and Tyrone Owusu are expected to remain absent for Telstar.

With his goal against Feyenoord last week, Van de Kamp is now the leading scorer for the second-bottom team with five goals.

Nonetheless, Jeff Hardeveld — who has four goals and as many assists — poses a significant attacking threat for the home side from his position as left wing-back.

Despite the departure of Sydney van Hooijdonk to Estrela Amadora, NAC has found ways to keep winning matches since losing their former five-goal forward.

Boy Kemper, who has contributed three goals and two assists, now leads the offensive stats for the team, while centre-back Clint Leemans and Pepijn Reulen are recent match-winners, signaling that several players have stepped up for Hoefkens’s squad.

With no fresh injuries reported following last week’s victory, leaving Moussa Soumano (ankle), Fredrik Jensen (knee), and Leo Greiml (shoulder) on the sidelines, Hoefkens might keep the same starting XI that triumphed over Volendam.

Telstar probable starting XI:

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

NAC Breda probable starting XI:

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

NAC Breda comes into North Holland riding the momentum of consecutive clean sheets and victories.

Considering Telstar’s ongoing struggles in defense, the visitors are expected to possess enough quality to secure a close-fought match.