AZ Alkmaar will look to continue their excellent start to the 2024-25 Eredivisie season when they travel to MAC³PARK Stadion to face PEC Zwolle on Friday night.
The hosts have stumbled out the blocks this season, managing just four points after their first five games, while the visitors have got out the gate impressively, earning 13 points over the same period.
Match preview
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PEC Zwolle got the season off to a terrible start, losing their first three matches in succession before finally getting off the mark with a 3-0 win over Heracles just ahead of the international break.
Last week, Blauwvingers made the trip to De Grolsch Veste and came away with a hard-fought 1-1 draw, in a match that they played mainly in their own half and scored with one of only two shots on target.
That goal came from Hibernian loanee Dylan Vente, who has now netted two-in-two, including the opening goal in the victory over Heracles at the start of the month.
Still, against a top-half opponent in Twente, that result would have been seen as a positive one for Johnny Jansen, and he will now be looking to go three matches unbeaten and open up some daylight above the drop zone.
However, Jansen will know that getting a result here will not be an easy task, having seen his side lose 3-0 to this opponent at this venue last season, and fail to win any of the last three encounters dating back to April 2022.
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Not only do AZ Alkmaar have a solid record in this fixture, they have an excellent record this season as well, currently one of only five teams still unbeaten five games into the campaign.
The Farmers' most recent match was by far the most impressive, though, as they obliterated Heerenveen 9-1 at home, with six different players getting their name on the scoresheet in the rout.
However, the star performer was undoubtedly former Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s striker Troy Parrott, who netted four goals against Robin van Persie's side, three of which came in the space of just eight minutes.
That result followed victories over Almere City, NEC and RKC Waalwijk, while the only points AZ have dropped this season were away to Groningen in gameweek three, but they are still unbeaten on the road in their last five league games since losing to PSV in April last season.
While Maarten Martens' side have looked good in attack, their greatest strength has arguably come from the other end of the pitch, where they have only conceded once this season and have not been breached in their last five away league games.
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Team News
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Jansen will be missing three players for this weekend's match, with Braydon Manu (muscle), Samir Lagsir (knee) and Tristan Gooijer (knee) all ruled out until next month with injuries.
Vente was a minor doubt for the trip to Enschede last weekend after picking up a knock during the international break, but having started and scored the all-important opener, he will likely continue to lead the line in this one.
AZ Alkmaar received an injury boost ahead of their last match against Heerenveen, with Ernest Poku returning to the bench after missing the two previous outings with a hip injury.
However, Martens does still have a fair few absentees at the moment, with Sem Westerveld, Mayckel Lahdo, Mees de Wit, Bruno Martins Indi, Lewis Schouten and Jeroen Zoet all currently on the treatment table.
PEC Zwolle possible starting lineup:
Schendelaar; Van der Haar, MacNulty, Jensen, Floranus; Van den Berg, El Azzouzi; Velanas, Monteiro, Krastev; Vente
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Sadiq, Koopmeiners; Clasie, Mijnans, Van Bommel; Parrott
We say: PEC Zwolle 0-2 AZ Alkmaar
AZ Alkmaar will enter this match overflowing with confidence after that demolition of Heerenveen last week, and will see this as a fixture they should be coming away from with all three points. We are not expecting another goal-fest here, but we do feel the visitors will earn a fairly comfortable victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
