AZ Alkmaar will be looking to extend their winning streak in the league to five matches when they welcome FC Twente to the AFAS Stadion this Saturday for round 17 of the Eredivisie.
The Cheese Farmers staged a dramatic 2-1 comeback win against NAC Breda last weekend, overturning an early setback through Troy Parrot's 76th-minute goal and Mees de Wit's 92nd-minute header.
Match preview
AZ seem to have rediscovered their spark in the Eredivisie, having weathered contrasting spells of dominance and drought in their league campaign.
Maarten Martens's side began the season brightly with five wins from their first six outings but were soon mired in a six-game winless stretch between September 29 and November 10, with a 2-2 home draw against Go Ahead Eagles being their only consolation in this run that preceded the November international break.
However, their fortunes took a decisive turn after the two-week pause, starting with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sparta Rotterdam, followed by triumphs against Heracles Almelo, Ajax and last weekend's spirited fightback against NAC.
This resurgence has revived their hopes of Champions League qualification as they head into the final match before the mid-season break, with the gap to second place now reduced to seven points, albeit they remain in sixth with 29 points from 16 games, just two behind this weekend's visitors in fifth.
AZ will seek inspiration from their last home encounter with Twente - a 2-1 victory in May - though the hosts have lost three of the last five meetings between both teams.
De Kaasboeren head into this weekend's clash following a 3-1 victory over Groningen in the KNVB Cup in midweek, with two goals in the last 20 minutes from Ruben van Bommel and Jayden Addai helping them secure passage into the last 16 of the competition.
Like the hosts, Twente made it to the next phase of the Dutch Cup, recording a 3-2 victory against a spirited Katwijk at Sportpark de Krom on Wednesday.
Despite a late scare from the third-division side, who scored in the 84th minute, Ricky van Wolfswinkel's (47') and Bas Kuipers's (50') goals proved enough for Joseph Oosting's men, who had initially seen their early lead from Alec Van Hoorenbeeck pulled back.
The win in midweek saw the Tukkers record back-to-back victories across all competitions for the first time since early November, following a 2-0 triumph against Groningen in the Eredivisie last Sunday.
Twente had bounced back from a humiliating 6-1 loss against PSV on gameweek 15 – their heaviest defeat this season – to secure the spirit-lifting win last weekend.
Aiming for their highest league finish since the 2009-2010 title-winning season, the visitors are currently five points off the top two and could further boost their chances of achieving this with a win this weekend, in what could be just their second victory at the AFAS since 2013.
Team News
Martens made changes to his regular starting lineup in midweek, with Parrot and Van Bommel coming off the bench to combine perfectly and produce the latter's goal, restoring the lead for AZ.
Both players are expected to return to the starting XI this weekend, with Mexx Meerdink making way for Parrot in the centre-forward role and Van Bommel taking his place on the flank.
Meanwhile, the hosts will take to the field without 23-year-old midfielder Kristijan Belic, who is sidelined until late December, while Sem Westerveld is doubtful for Saturday, though the 22-year-old goalkeeper is yet to make his Eredivisie debut since his move to the club in 2021.
As for the visitors, 22-year-old midfielder Younes Taha remains sidelined until early February as he recovers from a broken leg sustained in September, while Mees Hilgers will sit out another outing this weekend, having missed the last two games after being forced off with an injury against Olympiacos last Thursday.
Sem Steijn, the top scorer in the current league campaign with 12 goals, including four in each of the last four Eredivisie matches, is the player to watch out for.
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; De Wit, Martins Indi, Penetra, Maikuma; Koopmeiners, Mijnans, Buurmeester; Smit, Parrott, Van Bommel
FC Twente possible starting lineup:
Unnerstall; Salah-Eddine, Van Rooij, Lagerbielke, Van Hoorenbeeck; Regeer, Vlap; Rots, Steijn, Van Wolfswinkel; Lammers
We say: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 FC Twente
In addition to their resurgent league form, AZ have got the better of Twente in recent meetings at the AFAS, winning seven of the last nine encounters.
The visitors have also struggled on the road against sides currently in the top six, with all three of their away league losses this season coming against such teams, and we feel this Saturday's outcome will not be an exception.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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