Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Netherlands on Thursday to face AZ Alkmaar at the AFAS Stadion in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Spurs comfortably secured fourth place in the 36-team league phase standings, while AZ finished 19th and had to navigate a play-off round, overcoming Galatasaray 6-3 on aggregate to reach the knockout stages.
AZ Alkmaar
Since their 2-2 draw with Galatasaray in the second leg of their Europa League playoff – following a commanding 4-1 home win – AZ Alkmaar have experienced mixed fortunes in domestic competition.
They secured a narrow 1-0 Eredivisie victory over Fortuna Sittard before booking a place in the KNVB Beker final, overcoming Hercules 4-3 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw in extra time. However, their momentum was halted last weekend with a 3-1 league defeat at Heerenveen.
Maarten Martens’s side thus squandered an opportunity to reclaim third place – an automatic Europa League qualification spot – and now sit sixth in the Eredivisie, trailing the top three by three points with 10 games remaining.
AZ face title-chasing Ajax in their next league outing, but with no domestic fixture this weekend, they can fully focus on their Europa League clash with Spurs. They aim to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2013-14.
Despite winning just two of their last 19 encounters with English teams, AZ have netted 19 Europa League goals this season—surpassed by only three sides – and could exceed 20 in a single European campaign for the first time since 2006/07 (26).
Team News
AZ will be without key playmaker Sven Mijnans due to an Achilles injury, while Jayden Addai (ankle) is also unavailable. Ruben van Bommel and Mexx Meerdink remain doubtful for the first leg.
Zico Buurmeester, who found the net against Heerenveen last weekend, is likely to continue as the central attacking midfielder in Mijnans’ absence, linking up with midfielders Jordy Clasie and Peer Koopmeiners.
Leading the line will be former Tottenham forward Troy Parrott, who has scored 17 goals across all competitions this season, including four in the Europa League. The 23-year-old Irishman will be keen to make an impact against his former club.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham have struggled for consistency since December, losing 11 of their last 23 matches in all competitions, including a recent 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. With just 11 league games remaining, they sit 13th in the Premier League, nine points off the top 10 and 14 points behind the top four, making Europa League success their best chance of silverware this season.
Ange Postecoglou, under growing pressure, remains optimistic about salvaging Spurs’ campaign. His side ended the League Phase strongly with wins over Hoffenheim and Elfsborg and previously edged AZ 1-0 at home.
Historically, Tottenham have fared well against Dutch opposition, winning seven of their last 11 major European encounters (D2 L2), including a dramatic 3-2 win at Ajax in 2019. However, they have won just three of their last 18 away legs in European knockout ties, a record they will hope to improve on Thursday.
Team News
Tottenham face several selection concerns ahead of their Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar. Dejan Kulusevski is sidelined for at least a week with a foot injury, while Radu Dragusin (ACL) remains a long-term absentee. Thursday’s game also comes too soon for Dominic Solanke (knee) and Richarlison (calf).
Additionally, Antonin Kinsky, Fraser Forster, Timo Werner, and Sergio Reguilon were left out of Spurs’ Europa League squad and are ineligible. However, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero (both thigh) have an “outside chance” of returning after resuming training, while Ben Davies will undergo assessment.
January signings Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel are set for their first European appearances for Spurs. Tel is expected to feature in attack alongside Son Heung-min, who has netted seven major European knockout goals for Tottenham, second only to Dimitar Berbatov (12) this century.
Conclusion
Tottenham’s focus will have now shifted entirely to winning the Europa League, and Ange Postecoglou cannot afford a subpar display from his side if they hope to gain a crucial first-leg advantage. AZ Alkmaar, however, will pose a strong challenge, especially at home, where they remain unbeaten in Europe this season (W4 D1).
Despite this, Spurs, who still boast plenty of quality despite their injury woes, may have just enough to edge out a narrow victory in the Netherlands.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: ZetBet
English