The opening round of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie in the 2026/27 season delivered instant chaos. Newcomers Heracles Almelo looked to have thrown away a 0-3 lead against VVV-Venlo, only to snatch a 3-4 win with a wonder goal late on. Fellow newcomers NAC Breda also had a night to remember, winning 1-2 away at TOP Oss in extremis. Vitesse, meanwhile, let victory slip 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 penalty 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 finished, but Dean Zandbergen dragged them right back into it with two goals in five minutes. Substitute Devy Hendrikx then made it 3-3 in the 86th minute with a fine lob. Heracles hit back two minutes later when N'Djoli smashed in the 3-4 in fabulous fashion for his second of the night.
Then VVV thought they had made it 4-4 in stoppage time, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Heracles somehow held on after a wild finish.
TOP Oss v NAC Breda 1-2
TOP took the lead in the 18th minute through Franslyn Nsingi, who punished sloppy NAC defending and fired home for 1-0. NAC responded with chances for, among others, Paul Gladon and Rio Hillen, but goalkeeper Mike Havekotte kept his side in it several times. After the break, Gladon hit the bar, while Mauresmo Hinoke also struck the woodwork at the other end. Substitute Moussa Soumano levelled in the 69th minute, turning in a rebound at the far post for 1-1.
NAC's late pressure looked like it would come to nothing, but coach Carl Hoefkens only introduced 18-year-old Reulen in the 90th minute. That call paid off immediately, 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 the break, the visitors struck both the bar and the post through Jesse van de Haar and Azzedine Dkidak, but still went in behind. Late on, 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 win, 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. Dordrecht were level two minutes later when Daniël Vetkal's effort slipped through the hands of the error-prone goalkeeper Joeri Heerkens and into the near corner.
By the 14th minute, Dordrecht had turned the game around completely when Jari Venema sent the ball to the far post and Nabil Ouarghi tucked away the 2-1 from close range. Jong Ajax then created chances to equalise through, among others, Emre Ünüvar, Nash and Gabriël Monserrate, but could not take them.
FC Emmen v Roda JC 1-0
After a goalless first half in which both sides created chances, Freddy Quispel broke the deadlock in the 69th minute with a fine strike 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 lead with an important save.