Anderlecht host AZ Alkmaar in their Europa Conference League first leg clash on Thursday. The Belgians have been in good form heading into this one and will be confident of claiming the upper hand over Alkmaar, who have been slightly erratic lately.
Anderlecht overcame Spanish side Villarreal 2-1 on aggregate to progress to the quarter-finals of the Conference League. After being held 1-1 at home, Islam Slimani's effort midway through the second half gave them a 1-0 victory in Spain.
The victory over Villarreal highlights Anderlecht’s recent good form as they are unbeaten in their last five matches, claiming four wins in that run. However, they warmed up for Thursday’s clash with a 0-0 draw with Westerloo in a domestic league clash last Sunday.
One thing that has troubled Anderlecht in the Conference League this season is a lack of discipline at the back, particularly at home. Brian Riemer’s men have conceded in each of their last four matches at Lotto Park.
AZ Alkmaar are having a fine Europa Conference League campaign and have lost just once in the competition. The did the double over Italian side Lazio to reach the quarter-finals, claiming 2-1 victories in both matches.
The Dutch side appear to have lost their way since knocking out Lazio, with two defeats and a draw in their last three matches across all competitions. They warmed up for the trip to Anderlecht with a 1-0 home defeat to Sparta Rotterdam in an Eredivisie fixture last Sunday.
Like Anderlecht, AZ Alkmaar have also struggled to keep things tight at the back having conceded in each of their last four matches across all competitions. Pascal Janson’s men have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven Conference League fixtures.
How the bookies view it
The bookies appear to be split on this one with Anderlecht priced at 17/10 by Unibet to win while a victory for AZ Alkmaar is also valued at 17/10 by bet365. A draw is set at odds of 9/4 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
There have been only two previous meetings between both teams with AZ Alkmaar doing the double over Anderlecht during the group stage of the Europa League in 2012. The Dutch side claimed 1-0 victories in both matches.
Players to watch
Islam Slimani has impressed since joining Anderlecht in January and scored the winner against Villarreal in the previous round. The striker has also found the net four times in his last four matches across all competitions and is priced at 9/4 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
AZ Alkmaar have some attacking quality of their own, particularly Vangelis Pavlidis, who has impressed in the Conference League. The Greek forward has six goals in his last six matches in the competition and is priced at 2/1 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Anderlecht and AZ Alkmaar often impress going forward and with neither team particularly solid at the back, goals can be expected here. Both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 with William Hill, over 2.5 goals is valued at evens with Unibet while bet365 is offering odds of 5/2 for over 3.5 goals.
Anderlecht have opened the scoring in four of their last five matches and could be backed to grab the first goal on Thursday at 11/10 with BoyleSports.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between Anderlecht and AZ Alkmaar will be played on Apr 13, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Anderlecht vs AZ Alkmaar prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
