Cambuur v NEC Nijmegen: survival fight meets play-off push | OneFootball

Cambuur host NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie at the Kooi Stadion in Leeuwarden on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with the bottom club chasing a first win while the visitors look to nudge towards the top half.

Cambuur are 18th with one point from five games. NEC sit ninth on seven. The head-to-head has been tight, with six draws in the last 14 meetings, and NEC won 2-1 after extra time in a KNVB Beker semi-final here in February 2024.

Form points both ways. Cambuur halted a four-match losing run with a 2-2 draw at Telstar, but have lost all three home league matches. NEC's away record is a positive sign, with wins at Willem II and PEC Zwolle, plus a home draw against Excelsior.

Selection-wise, Cambuur list Wout Asselman and Daan Visser as injured. NEC are without Bram Nuytinck, Emre Mor, Deveron Fonville and Yassin Moslih through injury, trimming options in defence and attack.

The match-up could hinge on NEC's control against a leaky home defence. NEC average 64% possession and have scored 11 league goals, while Cambuur have conceded 18. Tjaronn Chery leads the visitors with three league goals, and Rafik El Arguioui has four for Cambuur. Set pieces and discipline may matter. Cambuur have conceded three penalties, and NEC have converted two this season.

A win would lift Cambuur to four points and may move them off the foot of the table, easing relegation pressure. Victory for NEC would take them to 10 points and could push them into the play-off places.