The opening round of the 2026/27 Keuken Kampioen Divisie season delivered plenty straight away. Newcomers Heracles Almelo looked to have thrown away a 0-3 lead against VVV-Venlo, but still nicked a 3-4 win thanks to a world-class finish late on. Fellow newcomers NAC Breda also had a chaotic night and won 1-2 away at TOP Oss in the dying moments. Vitesse, meanwhile, saw victory slip away against RKC Waalwijk after goalkeeper Connor van den Berg picked up an unnecessary red card.
VVV-Venlo v Heracles Almelo 3-4
Tristan van Gilst opened the scoring from the spot in the 38th minute after Chafik Abbas was brought down in the box. Right on half-time, David Vicente Robles doubled the lead, before Jean-Paul N'Djoli made it 0-3 in the 71st minute.
VVV looked beaten, only for Dean Zandbergen to drag them right back into it with two goals in five minutes. Substitute Devy Hendrikx then levelled in the 86th minute with a fine lob for 3-3. Two minutes later, Heracles hit back when N'Djoli brilliantly fired home his second of the night for 3-4.
Deep into stoppage time, VVV thought they had made it 4-4, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Heracles still got over the line after a frantic finish.
TOP Oss v NAC Breda 1-2
TOP Oss went ahead in the 18th minute through Franslyn Nsingi, who punished slack defending by NAC and fired home for 1-0. NAC then created chances through, among others, Paul Gladon and Rio Hillen, but goalkeeper Mike Havekotte kept his side in the game more than once. After the break, Gladon hit the bar, while Mauresmo Hinoke also struck the woodwork at the other end. Substitute Moussa Soumano equalised in the 69th minute when he turned in a rebound at the back post for 1-1.
NAC's late pressure seemed set to come to nothing, but coach Carl Hoefkens sent on 18-year-old Reulen in the 90th minute. The move paid off instantly, because two minutes later Reulen was in the right place to fire NAC to a 1-2 win after all.
Vitesse v RKC Waalwijk 1-1
Naoufal Bannis gave the Arnhem side the lead in the 38th minute after RKC failed to deal with the danger at the back. Before half-time, the Waalwijk side hit both the bar and the post through Jesse van de Haar and Azzedine Dkidak, but still went into the dressing room behind. In the closing stages, Vitesse goalkeeper Connor van den Berg saw red after an elbow, and Finn Stokkers converted the resulting penalty for 1-1. RKC still had a few minutes against ten men to go for the winner, but the score stayed the same.
FC Dordrecht v Jong Ajax 2-1
Jong Ajax struck after four minutes through Pharell Nash, who rounded goalkeeper Calvin Raatsie from a Mohamed Abdalla pass and rolled the ball into the empty net. Two minutes later, Daniël Vetkal had already levelled with a shot that slipped into the near corner via the hands of blundering goalkeeper Joeri Heerkens.
By the 14th minute, Dordrecht had turned the game around completely when Jari Venema picked out the back post and Ayoub Ouarghi fired in from close range for 2-1. Jong Ajax then had chances to equalise through, among others, Emre Ünüvar, Nash and Jano Monserrate, but could not take them.
FC Emmen v Roda JC 1-0
After a goalless first half in which both sides had chances, Freddy Quispel broke the deadlock in the 69th minute with a fine finish into the far corner. Roda JC pushed for an equaliser and almost made it 1-1 in the closing stages, but goalkeeper Luca Karssies preserved the win with an important save.