PSV Eindhoven hosts AZ Alkmaar today, Sunday, August 2, 2026, at 18:00 CET (16:00 GMT) in the Johan Cruijff Schaal at Philips Stadion. The match airs live on ESPN, pitting reigning Eredivisie champion PSV under coach Peter Bosz against KNVB Cup winner AZ under Leeroy Echteld .
This curtain-raiser opens the 2026-27 Dutch football season and traditionally pits the league champion against the domestic cup holder. PSV enters as a heavy favorite after winning a third straight Eredivisie title, while AZ arrives fresh off a surprise cup triumph over NEC Nijmegen .
What Time Does PSV vs AZ Alkmaar Kick Off?
Kickoff is set for 18:00 local Dutch time (CEST), which is 16:00 GMT and 17:00 in Morocco (WAT). The match takes place at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, PSV’s home ground, and referee Serdar Gözübüyük has been appointed to officiate .
| Detail | Information |
| Competition | Johan Cruijff Schaal (Dutch Super Cup) |
| Date | Sunday, August 2, 2026 |
| Kickoff time (CEST/Netherlands) | 18:00 |
| Kickoff time (GMT) | 16:00 |
| Kickoff time (Morocco) | 17:00 |
| Venue | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven |
| Referee | Serdar Gözübüyük |
Which Channel Broadcasts PSV vs AZ Alkmaar?
The match is broadcast live on ESPN in the Netherlands, with STAR Channel also carrying the game domestically . International viewers can find the fixture on several regional networks depending on location.
| Region | TV Channel |
| Netherlands | ESPN, STAR Channel |
| USA | Fubo |
| UK | Premier Sports |
| Canada | Sportsnet |
| Africa / Sub-Saharan | ESPN Africa |
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Ziggo subscribers can find ESPN on channel 18 or 421, KPN on channel 221, and Odido on channel 150, while STAR Channel sits on Ziggo channel 11 .
What Is the Predicted Lineup for Each Team?
Bosz is expected to field a squad built mostly around players who completed full preseason training, since internationals Ivan Perišić, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergiño Dest only recently resumed training after the World Cup .New signing Sven Mijnans could make his official PSV debut against his former club AZ, where he scored 42 goals across 155 appearances.
| Team | Predicted Starting XI |
| PSV Eindhoven | Kovář; Sildillia, Flamingo, Gąsiorowski, Fernández; Mauro Júnior, Veerman, Mijnans; Man, Til, Van Bommel |
| AZ Alkmaar | De Busser; Dijkstra, Goes, Schouten, Chávez; Kwakman, Koopmeiners, Smit; Patati, Meerdink, Daal |
AZ will be without captain Jordy Clasie, who isn’t fit enough to play, and right-back Denso Kasius, who is sidelined with a groin injury . Goalkeeper Jari De Busser, signed this summer from Go Ahead Eagles, is in line for his official AZ debut, notably the same keeper who denied AZ in last season’s cup final .
What Is the Score Prediction for PSV vs AZ Alkmaar?
Bookmaker odds strongly favor PSV Eindhoven at 1.46, with a draw priced at 5.00 and an AZ win at 5.25, reflecting Eindhoven’s deeper squad and home advantage at a sold-out Philips Stadion .PSV has historically dominated this fixture, lifting the Johan Cruijff Schaal a record 15 times from 23 appearances, including four of the last five editions .
AZ, by contrast, has featured in this final only twice, losing both in 2009 and 2013. Head-to-head history from last season also favors PSV, who beat AZ 5-1 away and 2-1 at home in Eredivisie meetings .Notably, the last five editions of this Super Cup have produced 24 combined goals, an average of nearly five per match, giving bettors reason to eye the over 4.5 goals market at odds of 2.90 .
Context Behind This Season Opener
PSV’s title-winning campaign under Peter Bosz finished with 84 points from 34 games and a goal difference of 101-45, sealing the crown as early as April 5 .The summer, however, brought upheaval: Ismael Saibari, last season’s Player of the Year with 19 goals, left for Bayern Munich in a club-record €55 million transfer, forcing Bosz to rebuild his attacking midfield around Mijnans and goalkeeper Matěj Kovář, signed permanently from Bayer Leverkusen .
AZ’s season was defined by one shining moment: a 5-1 KNVB Cup final win over NEC in a packed De Kuip on April 19, their fifth cup title and first since 2013.Domestically the club under Leeroy Echteld finished seventh with 52 points, well below its usual top-four standard, prompting the January dismissal of previous coach Maarten Martens despite a historic 6-0 cup win over Ajax just days earlier ..
Reactions and Preseason Form
PSV’s preparation was mixed, drawing 1-1 with Antwerp, winning 3-2 against Raków Częstochowa, and sharing a wild 7-3 result with Union Saint-Gilloise, before a 1-3 defeat to Villarreal at home.AZ steadily built momentum, closing preseason with a 4-0 win over Genk and a comeback 3-2 victory over Olympiacos after trailing 0-2, with Weslley Patati and Mexx Meerdink standing out .
According to technical director Niels van Duinen, Meerdink starts the season as AZ’s first-choice striker ahead of Troy Parrott. “We have made clear that Mexx is in principle our first striker,” Van Duinen said, per FCUpdate .
What Comes Next?
Whoever lifts the Johan Cruijff Schaal opens the Eredivisie season with early momentum before league fixtures begin the following week. AZ has also strengthened its squad by re-signing winger Calvin Stengs, while Kees Smit remains strongly linked with a move to a top European club despite staying put for the season opener . For continuing Eredivisie season coverage, see our related Eredivisie season preview hub, plus recent pieces on PSV’s summer transfer business and AZ’s cup final triumph.
