The 2026/27 Eredivisie season opens at the Goffertstadion on 8 August with NEC Nijmegen hosting newly promoted SC Telstar. NEC finished third in 2025/26 with 59 points, earning a UEFA Champions League third qualifying round spot and arriving as one of the league's better resourced clubs. Telstar are back in the top flight under new management and will need every advantage they can find.
Dick Schreuder took charge of NEC on 1 July 2025 on a contract running to June 2028, building his side around high pressing. Henk Brugge replaced Anthony Correia in summer 2026 after Correia left for FC Utrecht, bringing the organised defensive tendencies he developed as an assistant at sc Heerenveen. The two coaches have never faced each other, so there is no prior read on how their approaches interact.
NEC's pre season results confirm they will come forward from the first whistle: ten goals across a 3-1 win over V-Varen Nagasaki and a 7-0 thrashing of Al-Fayha is an encouraging return, though losses to Anderlecht and Sevilla suggest the back three has gaps when pressed high and a 0-0 draw in the Champions League first leg qualifier against Olympiacos adds a different kind of data point. Telstar's pre season results are sparse, which tells you something about where Brugge's priorities lie right now.
NEC are without Perr Schuurs (knee, out since 2023), Bram Nuytinck (ankle), Yassin Moslih and Freek Entius but new arrivals Dusan Tadic, Clement Bischoff, Emre Mor and Kaj Sierhuis are expected to be available. Schreuder looks set to line up in a 3-4-2-1, with Gonzalo Crettaz in goal, a back three of Brayann Pereira, Philippe Sandler and Deveron Fonville, a midfield four of Sami Ouaissa, Kodai Sano, Darko Nejasmic and Willum Thor Willumsson and Tjaronn Chery and Noe Lebreton supporting Brian Linssen up top, with Tadic available from the bench.
Telstar have some minor injury doubts around Dylan Mertens and Emirhan Demircan but nothing definitively confirmed. Brugge is expected to deploy a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 with Ronald Koeman Jr in goal, a back three of Gerald Alders, Marvin Peersman and Nigel Nwankwo, Jelani Seedorf, Abdelnour Soualhia, Nils Rossen and Jeff Hardeveld in midfield and Rui Mendes, Kay Tejan and Patrick Brouwer in attack.
NEC press aggressively and dominate possession and Brugge's 3-4-3 suggests he wants bodies in midfield to limit that press and win second balls. If Willumsson and Ouaissa push forward in NEC's 3-4-2-1, Telstar's wing backs Hardeveld and Seedorf will face a decision about whether to track them and that is where NEC could exploit the gaps.
NEC have the better of the historical record, with the most recent meeting ending 1-1 in May 2026. NEC will know from that game that Telstar do not fall apart under pressure, whereas at the Goffertstadion, with a deeper squad and a fully embedded system, NEC should generate the better opportunities. They also want a winning start before their Champions League qualifying campaign heats up, while Telstar need points to show they can compete at this level. The odds priced around 1.50 for an NEC win reflect how lopsided bookmakers see it.
NEC 2-1 Telstar. With Tadic available and Linssen leading the line, NEC have the individual ability to unlock a packed defence, the question is whether they are patient enough to do it and Telstar will probably nick one on the counter to keep it interesting.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
