With a place in the final of the KNVB Beker up for grabs, Heracles welcome AZ Alkmaar on Thursday in what will be their second meeting this season.
The previous encounter came in the top flight on December 1, when the Cheese Farmers edged a 1-0 victory at AFAS Stadion.
Match preview
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Heracles have endured a challenging Eredivisie campaign, sitting just above the relegation playoff spot with four points, following a humbling 4-0 defeat to league leaders Ajax in their most recent outing.
Before that, they had put together their best run of 2024-25, going eight matches unbeaten across all competitions with four wins and four draws.
Two of those victories came in the KNVB Beker, as they saw off second-tier side De Graafschap and fellow top-flight team FC Utrecht in 2-0 scorelines to reach this stage.
While their league struggles continue, making it to the cup semi-finals for the first time since 2011-12 has offered a respite, and Heracles will be eager to take their journey a step further by matching their feat from that season, when they reached the final – their deepest run in the competition to date.
The home side can take confidence from their strong record against Thursday's opponent at Asito Stadion, having won the last two of this fixture there, including an emphatic 5-0 triumph in the most recent clash.
This will, however, be the first-ever cup meeting between the sides on Heracles' turf, with the previous three all hosted by AZ, who won two – in 2008 and 2021 – sandwiching the Heraclieden's solitary extra-time victory in 2012.
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In contrast to the hosts, the Cheese Farmers have put together a strong 2024-25 campaign, remaining firmly in the mix across all three competitions, while sitting just outside the Champions League places in the Eredivisie on goal difference after beating Fortuna Sittard 1-0 in their last match.
That win stretched AZ's unbeaten run to six games, with five victories – the only blemish being a draw at Galatasaray in the return leg of their Europa League knockout playoffs, though Maarten Martens's men had already taken control of the tie with a commanding 4-1 win at home the previous week to advance 6-3 on aggregate.
That sequence also saw De Kaasboeren end Quick Boys' fairytale cup run for the second season running, beating the amateur side 3-1 to reach their ninth semi-final in the last 14 years.
However, AZ have only advanced beyond this stage in three of those campaigns, lifting the trophy in 2012-13 before consecutive final appearances in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Team News
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Jizz Hornkamp remains a doubt, having missed the last three outings, including Heracles' most recent KNVB Beker outing, while Jan Zamburek, who featured in that game, could also be absent for a third consecutive match.
There is also uncertainty surrounding Mario Engels, who has been sidelined since January 28, while Emil Hansson (cruciate ligament) and Sava-Arangel Cestic (ankle) remain ruled out as they recover from long-term injuries.
Luka Kulenovic has found the net in two of his last three appearances across all competitions, including in the previous round against FC Utrecht, and should continue leading the line, with Thomas Bruns, Suf Podgoreanu and Juho Talvitie expected to provide attacking support from midfield.
As for AZ, long-term absentees Mexx Meerdink, Ruben van Bommel and goalkeeper Sem Westerveld are set to remain out as they continue their respective recoveries.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Dutchman Sven Mijnans, who was forced off against Galatasaray, could miss a second straight match after being sidelined last time.
As a result, Zico Buurmeester is likely to retain his spot in midfield after scoring the winner in the previous outing, making Martens's selection easier, with the manager expected to field a similar XI.
That should see Ernest Poku and Mayckel Lahdo continue on the flanks in the absence of Jayden Addai, who remains out with a ligament issue.
Troy Parrott is set to lead the line again as the 23-year-old Irishman looks to add to his solitary cup goal, which came in the previous round against Quick Boys.
Heracles possible starting lineup:
Owuso-Odoro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Koopmeiners, Clasie; Poku, Buurmeester, Lahdo; Parrott
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
De Keijzer; Wieckhoff, Mirani, Mesik, Rots; Scheperman, De Keersmaecker; Talvitie, Bruns, Podgoreanu; Kulenovic
We say: Heracles 1-2 AZ Alkmaar
Despite AZ's recent away struggles against Heracles, they are expected to prevail in this encounter, given their pedigree in the competition and superior form compared to the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
