Ajax will be aiming to maintain the pressure on the Eredivisie league leaders when they travel to the AFAS Stadion to face off against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts are currently on 23 points and in sixth place in the league standings after 14 matches, while the visitors have managed 33 points to date and trail PSV by six points.
Match preview
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After finishing in the top four last season, AZ Alkmaar have some work to do if they plan on doing likewise this term, as they are already trailing fourth-placed Feyenoord by six points with a third of the season in the rearview mirror.
AZ made a very impressive start to the league campaign, going unbeaten in their first six games (W5 D1 L0), before hitting a rough patch between the October and November international breaks when they lost five and drew just one of their six matches.
However, De Kaasboeren are back on an upward trajectory, currently unbeaten in their last three matches in all competitions, including back-to-back league wins either side of a 1-1 draw against Galatasaray in the Europa League.
Last weekend, Maarten Martens' side were made to work for their points against a resilient Heracles, who held them goalless right until the 89th minute when Mayckel Lahdo found the winner with his first goal of the season.
That victory brought an end to a four-match winless run at home for the hosts, a period during which they suffered three defeats and a draw, and conceded two goals in each of the matches in that time.
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Meanwhile, Ajax had an opportunity to open up some daylight between themselves and the rest of the chasing pack last week, but they failed to do so, managing only a 2-2 draw at home to third-placed Utrecht.
Own goals ultimately decided that match, as De Godenzonen took a 2-1 lead thanks to Jens Toornstra sticking one in the back of his own net, but Remko Pasveer returned the favour in the 80th minute, forcing his side to settle for a share of the spoils.
Still, that result meant that Francesco Farioli's side extended their unbeaten run in the Eredivisie to 12 matches, including nine wins and three draws, while the new boss has still only tasted one league defeat since his arrival.
The visitors have also gone six away games without defeat, four of which were victories, while they have scored two or more goals in each of their last five on the road ahead of this weekend's trip to Alkmaar.
While Ajax enter this match with the better record this season, it is AZ who have been the more successful side in this fixture, having won home and away last season, while they have not lost a league match to this opponent since April 2021.
Team News
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AZ Alkmaar are still without midfielders Lewis Schouten and Ibrahim Sadiq due to injury, but Zico Buurmeester has featured in the squad for the last three games following his return to fitness and could be handed a start this week.
Troy Parrott was left out of the starting lineup for the victory over Heracles last week and will likely be brought back in this week, potentially in place of Mexx Meerdink, who had a quiet afternoon in the last match.
Ajax have a fairly lengthy casualty list at present, which includes three long-term absentees in Gaston Avila, who is still out following knee surgery, while Sivert Mannsverk and Amourricho Van Axel-Dongen are sidelined with ankle injuries.
Benjamin Tahirovic (concussion), Daniele Rugani (illness) and Devyne Rensch (leg) have missed the last two matches and are flagged as doubts, and Mika Godts is now only expected to return from his hamstring injury in the New Year.
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Zoet; Maikuma, Penetra, Goes, Wolfe; Clasie, Mijnans, Koopmeiners; Van Bommel, Parrott, Smit
Ajax possible starting lineup:
Pasveer; Gaaei, Sutalo, Kaplan, Hato; Van den Boomen, Klaassen, Taylor; Berghuis, Weghorst, Traore
We say: AZ Alkmaar 1-2 Ajax
Ajax have been in excellent form this season, unbeaten in their last 12 league games dating back to matchday two, and while they did drop points at home last week, we feel they will return to winning ways in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
