Sittard vs AZ Alkmaar prediction: NETHERLANDS: Eredivisie betting tips on match 2024-02-16 17:45.
It has been a very disappointing week for Fortuna Sittard, who were kicked out of the KNVB Cup by second-tier FC Groningen on penalties whilst losing 4-0 to FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie. Despite that, Danny Buijs’ side is still six points clear of trouble and can enjoy the comforts of home this week, where they have lost only twice in their last 12 matches (W6, D4).
But they could draw some additional tension in the run-up to this fixture from not having beaten upcoming opponent AZ Alkmaar since 2001. In fact, of the 13 meetings to have taken place since then, the Alkmaarders were triumphant in 12. The last two head-to-heads resulted in hefty 3-0 and 4-0 losses for Sittard, whilst in four of their last five home matches against AZ they conceded 3+ goals.
Yet it is anything but obvious that AZ will necessarily win again on Saturday. Maarten Martens’ side have been losing a little more often recently and, across their last ten games in all competitions, have not prevailed within the regular 90 minutes of play (D5, L5). Their last away win when excluding extra time took place back in October 2023, and consequently they now bear an eight-point deficit to number three FC Twente.
Martens, like his predecessor Pascal Jansen, has been regularly rotating his wing attackers due to a lack of desired output. Mayckel Lahdo, Ruben van Bommel, Ernest Poku, Myron van Brederode, Ibrahim Sadiq and Jayden Addai have combined for just six Eredivisie goals. AZ has now failed to score in three straight matches, but at least last week they returned their first clean sheet in 13 games with a 0-0 draw against Almere.
Players to watch: Alen Halilovic recently converted a penalty but lamented being one of four Fortuna players to have missed a spot kick (alongside Kaj Sierhuis, Mouhamed Belkheir and Tijjani Noslin). No other club started this round with multiple players to have failed from the spot. AZ’s Vangelis Pavlidis has already accumulated 20 Eredivisie goals this season, and further back has been on the scoresheet in six of his last seven H2Hs.
Hot stat: AZ conceded 2+ goals in eight of their last ten matches.