Defending champion AZ Alkmaar will travel to amateur club HSV Hoek in the second round of the KNVB Cup, while Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord face a tricky away trip to second-tier side GVVV in Veenendaal, as NOS reported following the official draw.
The draw, broadcast live via ESPN, paired thirteen Eredivisie teams, nine Keuken Kampioen Divisie clubs, six Tweede Divisie teams, and four Derde Divisie clubs across the bracket. Unlike the opening round where amateur clubs enjoyed automatic home advantage against professional opponents, second-round hosting rights went to whichever team was drawn first.
Eredivisie Giants Avoid Heavy Collisions
While the top flight’s heavyweights largely avoided drawing each other, the path forward presents distinct tests away from home. Feyenoord’s trip to GVVV brings the Rotterdam club to a Veenendaal side currently sitting seventh in the Tweede Divisie with 18 points from 11 matches, according to coverage from FR-Fans.nl. That assignment carries extra weight for Feyenoord after the club suffered a premature second-round exit last season via a 3-2 home defeat against SC Heerenveen under former trainer Robin van Persie.
Elsewhere, league heavyweights Ajax and PSV secured home ties against lower-tier professional opposition. Ajax will host FC Den Bosch in Amsterdam, while reigning champions PSV welcome Vitesse to Eindhoven. Two all-Eredivisie ties highlight the round: Fortuna Sittard meets FC Twente, and Willem II squares off against Excelsior.
December Scheduling Splits the Bracket
The fixture calendar splits across two distinct windows in December to accommodate European commitments. Standard matches are scheduled for Tuesday 1, Wednesday 2, and Thursday 3 December. However, clubs competing in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League—specifically PSV, Feyenoord, AZ, and NEC—exercise their right to play later in the month, with their cup fixtures slated for 15, 16, and 17 December.
VoetbalPrimeur reported the complete second-round fixture list as follows:
- Roda JC vs. RKAV Volendam
- Fortuna Sittard vs. FC Twente
- Almere City vs. VVSB
- Go Ahead Eagles vs. TOP Oss
- Ajax vs. FC Den Bosch
- NAC Breda vs. SC Genemuiden
- RKC Waalwijk vs. SC Cambuur
- Excelsior ‘31 vs. NEC
- SC Heerenveen vs. De Treffers
- FC Eindhoven vs. Quick Boys
- FC Emmen vs. FC Utrecht
- GVVV vs. Feyenoord
- Willem II vs. Excelsior
- AFC vs. Purmersteijn
- PSV vs. Vitesse
- HSV Hoek vs. AZ
Amateur Representation Guaranteed in the Last Sixteen
The bracket structure ensures at least one amateur outfit will advance to the round of sixteen. Tweede Divisie side AFC was drawn directly against third-tier club VV Purmersteijn, guaranteeing an amateur survivor in the next phase of the tournament.
Exact match times and precise television broadcast schedules will be finalized and published shortly.
