Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw
Best Odds: 5/1
AZ Alkmaar and West Ham United will face each other in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League this week. The match between the Eredivisie club and the Premier League outfit will be held at the AFAS Stadion and is scheduled to klick off at 8pm UK time on Thursday.
AZ Alkmaar
AZ Alkmaar are a major club in the Netherlands and are doing well this season. While they are not going to end up in the top two of the Eredivisie table this season, they could feature in the UEFA Europa League next season via the league standings. And they could win the UEFA Europa Conference League this campaign.
De Kaasboeren are third in the Eredivisie table at the moment with 64 points from 32 matches. AZ Alkmaar are seven points behind second-placed PSV Eindhoven and a point ahead of Dutch goats Ajax.
AZ Alkmaar lost the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League 2-1 to West Ham United away from home at London Stadium last week. While the Hammers have the lead in the tie, that they could score in London and are at home for the second leg will give AZ a huge deal of confidence.
Team News:
Bruno Martins Indi will not play for AZ Alkmaar due to a hamstring injury. Dani de Wit and Jesper Karlsson, though, are available after playing for them this past weekend.
West Ham United
West Ham United are not having the best of times in the Premier League, but in Europe, David Moyes’s side are on fire. The Hammers reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League last season, and now the London club could go all the way to the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Hammers got the better of AZ Alkmaar 2-1 at London Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final tie. Although AZ scored the opening goal of the match in the first half, the way the Hammers staged a successful comeback in the second period was hugely encouraging.
West Ham are 15th in the Premier League table at the moment with 37 points from 36 matches. David Moyes’s side are six points above the relegation zone with two more rounds of matches remaining. The London club will head into the match against AZ this Thursday evening on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Brentford in the London derby in the Premier League.
Team News:
Kurt Zouma started for West Ham United against Brentford on the bench this past weekend. It remains to be seen if manager David Moyes includes the defender in his starting lineup against AZ. Declan Rice, Lucas Paqueta and Said Benrahma will start for the Hammers. Gianluca Scamacca has a knee problem and will not play, while Michail Antonio could miss out due to a calf injury.
Key Factors to Consider
- Vangelis Pavlidis has scored 4 goals and given 5 assists in 6 Eredivisie matches for AZ Alkmaar this season.
- Dani de Wit has scored 4 goals and given 1 assist in 6 Eredivisie matches for AZ Alkmaar this season.
- Tijjani Reijnders has scored 3 goals and given 1 assist in 6 Eredivisie matches for AZ Alkmaar this season.
- Michail Antonio has scored 13 goals and given 4 assists in 43 competitive matches for West Ham this campaign.
- Jarrod Bowen has scored 10 goals and given 6 assists in 49 competitive matches for West Ham this campaign.
Conclusion
AZ Alkmaar are a very good team, and playing at home will give them an advantage over West Ham United. However, the Hammers have a one-goal lead in the tie and know that all they need to do to get through to the final of the UEFA Europa Conference League is keep a clean sheet. That is unlikely to happen, but expect a draw in the second leg, which should be enough for the Hammers to go through.
Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw
Best Odds: 5/1
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