Az Alkmaar host NAC Breda in Alkmaar on Sunday, 17 May 2026, with Troy Parrott expected to spearhead a side chasing three points that would move AZ to 54 and tighten their grip on the European play-off places.
Parrott arrives in form and in the conversation for the title of the league’s most reliable finisher; his goal in AZ’s 1-1 draw at Feyenoord last weekend took him to 16 league strikes and left the club unbeaten in five Eredivisie matches. AZ have drawn their last three league games — against Go Ahead Eagles, Twente and Feyenoord — but their forwards remain dangerous: the team has scored 55 league goals, records 51.07% shooting accuracy and controls 53% possession with an 82.19% passing success rate.
The figures underline what is at stake. AZ sit sixth on 51 points and a win would lift them to 54, narrowing the gap on the European play-off places; NAC Breda are 17th on 28 points and in the relegation zone, a position confirmed by results elsewhere that ended their two-year stay in the top flight. A win for NAC would take them to 31 points, but their season-long defensive fragility is stark — 55 goals conceded — and they have lost nine of their last 10 Eredivisie meetings with AZ.
Form lines add nuance. AZ have won four of their last five league matches at AFAS Stadion and scored at least twice in each of those victories, a reminder that the club’s home form can be decisive. NAC, meanwhile, ended an eight-game winless run by beating Heerenveen 2-0 last weekend — Boy Kemper netted twice — though that victory arrived after their relegation had already been sealed.
The squads bring their own dramas. AZ will be without Mohamed Nassoh, who is serving the second game of a three-match suspension, and they have doubts over Denso Kasius after he missed the club’s last two matches. Kees Smit could miss a second consecutive game and Raul Paula is a major doubt after missing the previous match. Injury absences are also in focus: Leo Greiml remains out with a shoulder problem and Boyd Lucassen is sidelined. Managers face selection headaches on both sides — Leeroy Echteld will be without forward Jizz Hornkamp through injury, and Carl Hoefkens is without defenders Lucassen Boyd and Leo Greiml because of injury.
The tactical tension is simple. AZ have been hard to beat — five matches unbeaten — but have dropped points in draws that could cost them a higher finish: Sports Mole notes AZ drew with Go Ahead Eagles and Twente before the Feyenoord stalemate, and the club can still finish as low as eighth despite occupying sixth place. NAC arrive with little to lose and a recent win, but their away numbers are poor: only 12 goals in 16 away league matches and a single away victory all season.
There are also stylistic contrasts. NAC have been aggressive in the air, delivering 516 open-play crosses at 21.12% accuracy, a blunt but persistent weapon against teams that sit off. AZ combine possession and precision; Mees de Wit and Sven Mijnans lead the club’s assists charts with five each. The reverse meeting in August finished 1-0 to AZ in Breda, and NAC’s most recent trip to Alkmaar ended 1-1, so history favours the hosts but does not guarantee a routine win.
This match is where those threads meet. A victory would not only move AZ to 54 points but harden their claim on a top-half finish and the European play-off places; another draw would extend a worrying sequence that has left them dependent on late-season form elsewhere. Given AZ’s combination of home potency, Parrott’s finishing, and NAC’s defensive record, the reasonable conclusion is that Az Alkmaar should be favourites to take the three points and tighten their hold on European qualification.
