AZ Alkmaar vs Utrecht prediction: NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie betting tips on match 2023-01-28 20:00.
AZ Alkmaar’s Eredivisie competition continues to run increasingly smoothly, with other results beginning to fall in their favour. As top clubs Ajax and PSV Eindhoven continue to languish through their own crises on the pitch, Pascal Janssen’s side have strung together three 2+ goal victories and are now just two points behind league leader Feyenoord, having once been in fifth place after 13 rounds. Recent victories at Heerenveen and Go Ahead Eagles either side of a successful hosting of Fortuna Sittard have AZ boasting the best form of any Eredivisie club over the last five rounds.
Before their mid-season slump in October was a 2-1 victory away to upcoming opponents FC Utrecht and this time they appear in a much more sound position to perhaps extend their strong recent H2H record with the first of two meetings in ten days, with these sides to open the KNVB Cup’s Round of 16 in less than a fortnight. That forms part of a busy February calendar, in which their meeting with Feyenoord on the 18th will be circled as the most anticipated.
But first, they have to get past another club demonstrating ample upside, albeit in fits and starts and without the consistency of AZ. Their last three months could have been so much more were it not for giving up four Eredivisie points courtesy of 90th minute equalisers conceded against Feyenoord (1-1) and Go Ahead Eagles (2-2), without which Utrecht could have been sitting in sixth place instead of seventh.
Utrecht manager Michael Silberbauer has had to plan this week without striker Bas Dost, who continues to struggle with a foot injury after missing their midweek win against Excelsior (1-0). His team will nonetheless hop on the bus in a confident manner, knowing they have accumulated 14 points from their last nine away games. Only three of their Eredivisie rivals, including AZ themselves (24), have earned more in that period. AZ, however, have picked up just 15 points from their eight games at home and appear vulnerable.
Players to watch: Djordje Mihailovic seems to have found his feet at AZ, now, scoring his first goal in three league appearances on Wednesday in an 82-minute shift. The eyes of the visitors will be on Tasos Douvikas, who replaced Dost during the week and delivered the matchwinner. He has accumulated seven goals from 16 league appearances.
Hot stat: There have been just two draws between these sides played out this century – in 2014 and 2015. AZ boast a 15-5 win record from the remaining 20 matches.