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AZ Alkmaar will host Elfsborg in the Netherlands for their Europa League opener on Wednesday.
AZ Alkmaar vs. Elfsborg /prediction-team news-lineups
The home side has enjoyed a fantastic start to their season, while the Swedish visitors, nearing the conclusion of their domestic campaign, still have much at stake.
AZ Alkmaar capitalized on an unusually poor season from Ajax last year to secure another top-four finish.
Although they narrowly missed out on third place—and with it, a Champions League qualifying spot—to Twente, AZ’s strong league performance still earned them direct entry into the Europa League group stage.
Match Preview:
Without the burden of summer qualifiers, manager Maarten Martens has been able to concentrate fully on the domestic campaign, which has paid off handsomely.
AZ currently sits just behind PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, with a near-perfect record after six matches. Their only slip-up so far was a goalless draw against Groningen.
Following two tight 1-0 victories to kick off their season, AZ have found their scoring boots, especially after returning from the international break with a stunning 9-1 demolition of Heerenveen at home.
Their latest outing, however, was a more hard-fought 2-1 win over Zwolle on the road, rounding off preparations for their European campaign in fine form.
AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):
Elfsborg Europa League form:
Elfsborg form (all competitions):
This marks AZ’s return to the Europa League for the first time since 2020, when they were eliminated in the group stage. In fact, they have only managed two wins in their last 10 Europa League matches.
One of their lowest points in European competition came in 2017, when they were thrashed 11-2 on aggregate by Lyon in the last 16, including a 7-1 defeat in the second leg.
However, AZ has enjoyed more success in the Conference League, reaching the semi-finals in 2022-23, though they were knocked out in the group stage last season.
Their opening match in this year’s Europa League sees them face Elfsborg for the first time. AZ can take confidence from their strong record against Swedish teams, having lost just once in six previous meetings.
The visitors will take to the field in a European competition proper for the first time in 11 years in this one, as Elfsborg are back in continental action after a Europa League group stage exit in 2013-14.
On that occasion, Elfsborg took just one point from their opening five games and were eliminated, and their draw this time around suggests they could find it difficult once again.
According to UEFA’s coefficient rankings, Elfsborg have been handed the toughest draw of all 36 clubs in the Europa League, facing Roma and Tottenham Hotspur from pot one, Galatasaray from pot three, and a devilishly difficult duo of Nice and Athletic Bilbao from pot four.
Manager Oscar Hiljemark, who spent two years playing in Holland with PSV, will hope his side can transfer their domestic form onto the continent, as they have lost just once in their last 19 games.
After a poor start to their season, which runs from spring through to autumn, Elfsborg have recovered excellently and are in with a shout of qualifying for Europe again.
A dull 0-0 draw with Hammarby at the weekend has kept them in contention with six games to go, as they sit just three points off the top three having been nowhere at the midway point of the campaign.
European distractions could be costly for their domestic aims though, should Hiljemark throw everything at them reaching the knockout stage.
AZ have a few injury concerns heading into this clash, with Bruno Martins Indi (hamstring) and Mees de Wit (foot) unlikely to recover in time to feature here, while young goalkeeper Sem Westerveld is also out.
Former Tottenham forward Troy Parrott is set to make his European debut after coming in to replace Benfica-bound Vangelis Pavlidis over the summer.
All four of Parrott’s goals for the club so far came in their 9-1 annihilation of Heerenveen, so he will be out to prove that was not a one off.
Elfsborg will be able to recall Ibrahim Buhari to their defence after he served a domestic ban over the weekend, but Jens Thomasen will remain out with the injury he picked up against Brommapojkarna at the start of the month.
Arber Zeneli rejoined his boyhood club earlier this year, contributing to 13 goals from out wide so far, and the Kosovan international should play just ahead of his younger brother Besfort Zeneli.
The man to watch for the visitors is striker Michael Baidoo, whose six goal involvements in Europa League qualifying was only bettered by one other player.
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Clasie, Koopmeiners, Mijnans; Sadiq, Parrott, Van Bommel
Elfsborg possible starting lineup:
Pettersson; Holmen, Buhari, Yegbe; Hedlund, B Zeneli, Ouma, Hult; A Zeneli, Baidoo, Qasem
