AZ Alkmaar vs Aston Villa prediction: EUROPE: Europa Conference League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2023-10-25 16:45.
UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) regulars AZ Alkmaar are locked in an ultra-competitive Group E that saw all four sides level on three points after two rounds. The Cheeseheads, who made it to the knockout stages in both of their two previous campaigns in this competition, have recovered well from losing on matchday one, going unbeaten in six successive matches across all competitions since (W5, D1).
Pascal Jansen’s men have been particularly strong on home soil, winning each of their last three matches at the AFAS Stadion without conceding. They also boast an unblemished home record in the UECL group stages (W7), but continuing that against Aston Villa looks a tall order as AZ are winless across their last seven meetings with English opposition, while they’ve managed just two wins across 14 such H2Hs historically (D5, L7).
That record will be music to the ears of an Aston Villa side in red hot form and sitting in the top five of the Premier League standings following a 4-1 destruction of West Ham, the side who beat AZ in last season’s UECL semi-finals. Manager Unai Emery admitted his squad are producing “something special”, a feeling that would only be intensified if the Villans can secure back-to-back European victories after a last-gasp 1-0 win against Zrinjski on matchday two.
Form on the road could be the only problem area for Villa at present, as they’ve managed just one win from their last four away fixtures (D1, L2). Emery will again look to his attack to drive them to victory in just their second-ever meeting with Dutch opposition (W1), as his side have netted 19 times across their last eight matches, including a six-goal haul against Brighton last month!
Players to watch: AZ hitman Vangelis Pavlidis has scored in six successive club matches, including a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Heerenveen on Saturday. Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz became the first player in history to score in six consecutive Premier League games at Villa Park on Sunday, but just one of his last eight goals have come away from home, coincidentally coming in UECL qualifying against Hibernian.
Hot stat: AZ are yet to concede a first-half goal at home this season.