AZ Alkmaar vs Telstar - Eredivisie

A fascinating Eredivisie chapter awaits on September 20, 2026 when AZ Alkmaar take on Telstar at the home ground — two sides with plenty to play for and everything to prove. Manchester United play in Gothenburg on Saturday as they take on Paris-Saint Germain in their fourth pre-season fixture.

AZ Alkmaar head into the contest positioned 2nd in the Eredivisie standings, while Telstar arrive sitting 13th. The hosts have been in fine fettle of late, their recent run of D underlining a campaign win rate of 83.33%. Telstar are searching for answers away from home, DLDLL over their last five with a campaign win rate of 16.67%. The contrast in attacking output — 2.83 versus 0.83 goals per game — adds an extra layer of intrigue. Arsenal also saw the importance of having good depth at right-back when Mosquera was forced to start the Champions League final with PSG out of position - which then resulted in the young Spaniard conceding a penalty.

Set-piece efficiency could prove the difference on the night. Both AZ Alkmaar and Telstar have invested time in dead-ball situations this season, and a single corner or free-kick may settle it. Andoni Iraola could not have been clearer about how he plans to change Liverpool when speaking in his opening press conference.

The fixture boasts genuine star quality. With S. Tengstedt topping the Eredivisie scoring charts at 5 goals, the stage is set for the kind of individual brilliance that can swing a contest. Set-piece specialists and aerial threats on both sides mean dead-ball situations could carry outsized importance. Newcastle United have started searching for a new midfielder as Bruno Guimarães moves closer to joining Arsenal.

The fixture has the feel of a coin-flip, and picking a winner with any conviction would require a braver pundit than most. Given the balance of the numbers, AZ Alkmaar should have enough to edge it — a 3-1 victory looks the most likely outcome. With positions in the Eredivisie table to defend and momentum to chase, neither side can afford to leave anything in the tank. And Fonseca does not place too much weight on the decision of Roberto Martinez to omit him from the World Cup squad in favour of his Benfica team-mate Tomas Araujo.