Preview: AZ Alkmaar vs Elfsborg – Predicted Match Outcome, Team News, and Starting Lineups | Preview

AZ Alkmaar welcome Elfsborg to the Netherlands on the opening matchday of the Europa League on Wednesday.

The hosts have made an outstanding begin to the season, whereas the Swedish guests are coming to the tip of their home marketing campaign with a lot nonetheless to play for.

Match preview

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AZ took benefit of an uncharacteristically woeful season by Ajax final 12 months to complete within the prime 4 as soon as once more.

Despite lacking out on third place, which might have earned them a Champions League qualifying spot, to Twente, AZ's league end nonetheless ensured direct passage into the league part of the Europa League.

Not taking part in any summer season qualifiers has allowed supervisor Maarten Martens to focus solely on league issues within the opening six weeks of the season, and his facet have taken full benefit.

Only a 100% begin from PSV Eindhoven is stopping AZ from topping the Eredivisie desk after six matches, as a 0-0 draw at Groningen are the one factors they've dropped to date.

After two opening 1-0 wins, AZ have actually let their hair down in current weeks, as they returned from the current worldwide break by thrashing Heerenveen 9-1 right here.

However, it was a a lot nearer encounter towards Zwolle on the weekend that noticed them put together for this European opener, successful 2-1 on the street to take care of that spectacular begin.

The 1981 finalists are again on this competitors for the primary time since 2020, once they had been eradicated within the group stage, contributing to a run of simply two wins of their final 10 Europa League outings.

This competitors additionally noticed them undergo their most embarrassing European defeat of their historical past, once they had been overwhelmed 11-2 on mixture by Lyon within the final 16 again in 2017, dropping 7-1 within the second leg.

Playing within the Conference League over the previous three seasons has supplied extra success, because the membership reached the semi-finals in 2022-23, however they had been knocked out within the teams final season.

AZ's opening sport this time round pits them towards Elfsborg for the primary time, and the Dutch facet have a great document towards Swedish golf equipment, solely dropping as soon as in six earlier matches.

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The guests will take to the sector in a European competitors correct for the primary time in 11 years on this one, as Elfsborg are again in continental motion after a Europa League group stage exit in 2013-14.

On that event, Elfsborg took only one level from their opening 5 video games and had been eradicated, and their draw this time round suggests they may discover it troublesome as soon as once more.

According to UEFA's coefficient rankings, Elfsborg have been handed the hardest draw of all 36 golf equipment within the Europa League, dealing with Roma and Tottenham Hotspur from pot one, Galatasaray from pot three, and a devilishly troublesome duo of Nice and Athletic Bilbao from pot 4.

Manager Oscar Hiljemark, who spent two years taking part in in Holland with PSV, will hope his facet can switch their home kind onto the continent, as they've misplaced simply as soon as of their final 19 video games.

After a poor begin to their season, which runs from spring by means of to autumn, Elfsborg have recovered excellently and are in with a shout of qualifying for Europe once more.

A boring 0-0 draw with Hammarby on the weekend has stored them in rivalry with six video games to go, as they sit simply three factors off the highest three having been nowhere on the halfway level of the marketing campaign.

European distractions might be expensive for his or her home goals although, ought to Hiljemark throw all the things at them reaching the knockout stage.

AZ Alkmaar kind (all competitions):

Elfsborg Europa League kind:

Elfsborg kind (all competitions):

Team News

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AZ have just a few harm issues heading into this conflict, with Bruno Martins Indi (hamstring) and Mees de Wit (foot) unlikely to get better in time to function right here, whereas younger goalkeeper Sem Westerveld can also be out.

Former Tottenham ahead Troy Parrott is about to make his European debut after coming in to interchange Benfica-bound Vangelis Pavlidis over the summer season.

All 4 of Parrott's objectives for the membership to date got here of their 9-1 annihilation of Heerenveen, so he might be out to show that was not a one off.

Elfsborg will be capable to recall Ibrahim Buhari to their defence after he served a home ban over the weekend, however Jens Thomasen will stay out with the harm he picked up towards Brommapojkarna in the beginning of the month.

Arber Zeneli rejoined his boyhood membership earlier this 12 months, contributing to 13 objectives from out huge to date, and the Kosovan worldwide ought to play simply forward of his youthful brother Besfort Zeneli.

The man to observe for the guests is striker Michael Baidoo, whose six purpose involvements in Europa League qualifying was solely bettered by one different participant.

AZ Alkmaar doable beginning lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Clasie, Koopmeiners, Mijnans; Sadiq, Parrott, Van Bommel

Elfsborg doable beginning lineup:
Pettersson; Holmen, Buhari, Yegbe; Hedlund, B Zeneli, Ouma, Hult; A Zeneli, Baidoo, Qasem

We say: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 Elfsborg

AZ have made a superb begin to the season, and ought to have sufficient to beat one of many lowest-ranked sides on this season's competitors.

On their return to the European stage after over a decade away, it will likely be a baptism of fireplace for Elfsborg with quite a few tough fixtures, together with this one towards one of the vital in-kind sides in Holland at current.

For information evaluation of the almost definitely outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click on right here.

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