AZ Alkmaar will attempt to overturn a two-goal deficit when they host Anderlecht in their Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg. Neither team has shown much defensive solidity in recent weeks, so goals could be expected here.
AZ Alkmaar were not at their best in last week’s first leg as they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Anderlecht. They struggled to create too many clear-cut opportunities and finished with just two attempts on target throughout the encounter.
Having bounced back with a 3-0 victory at Fortuna Sittard in an Eredivisie fixture on Sunday, AZ Alkmaar will be keen to carry that form into the second leg. However, that was their first win in five matches across all competitions as they have found things difficult lately.
One positive for AZ Alkmaar ahead of Thursday’s clash is that they have maintained a 100% home record in this year’s Conference League. However, defending continues to be a problem for Pascal Janson’s men, who have kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
It was a solid performance for Anderlecht in the first leg as they claimed a 2-0 victory. They were the better side throughout the encounter as goals in each half from Amir Murillo and Majeed Ashimeru gave them the win.
While Anderlecht will be looking to complete the job in Netherlands, they will head to AFAS Stadion off the back of a 5-2 defeat at Genk in a First Division A clash. The good news is that it was the first defeat in eight matches across all competitions for Brian Riemer’s men.
Letting in five goals at Genk shows that Anderlecht can be prone to defensive lapses that could be taken advantage of by savvy teams. They have conceded in six of their last nine matches in the Europa Conference League.
How the bookies view it
AZ Alkmaar are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 4/5 by Betfred. A victory for Anderlecht is valued at 4/1 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by Betfred.
Head to head
AZ Alkmaar have a 2-1 advantage from three previous matches against Anderlecht. The Dutch side did the double over their rivals during the 2012 Europa League before losing last week’s clash.
Players to watch
Vangelis Pavlidis had a quiet outing in the first leg but still remains AZ Alkmaar’s top scorer in the Conference League with seven goals. The striker was on target at Fortuna Sittard last Sunday and is priced at 7/5 by bet365 to get on the score sheet on Thursday.
Islam Slimani remains the one to watch for Anderlecht despite failing to find the net in the first meeting. The striker has seven goals in the last nine matches across all competitions and is priced at 7/2 by bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
There is quality in both attacks and with neither team particularly convincing at the back, goals could be expected here. Over 3.5 goals is priced at 23/10 by Paddy Power, over 2.5 goals is valued at 9/10 by Unibet while bet365 is offering odds of 5/6 on both teams to score.
Anderlecht have seen more goals after the break in their last five away matches and Thursday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This UEFA Europa League Conference match between AZ Alkmaar and Anderlecht will be played on Apr 20, 2023 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best AZ Alkmaar vs Anderlecht prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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