Vitesse vs AZ Alkmaar prediction, preview, team news and more | Europa Conference League playoffs 2021-22

The Eredivisie returns with a set of Europa Conference League playoffs as Vitesse take on AZ Alkmaar on Thursday. Both teams can pack a punch on their day and will want to win this game.

AZ Alkmaar are in fifth place in the Eredivisie standings and have not been at their best in recent weeks. The away side eased past Heerenveen by a 2-0 scoreline last week and will be confident ahead of this fixture.

Vitesse, on the other hand, are in sixth place in the league table and have been fairly inconsistent this season. The hosts thrashed Utrecht 3-0 in their previous game and will look to achieve a similar result this week.

Vitesse vs AZ Alkmaar Head-to-Head

AZ Alkmaar have an impressive record against Vitesse and have won 22 of the 47 matches played between the two teams. Vitesse have managed 14 victories against AZ Alkmaar and will need to cut the deficit on Thursday.

The previous meeting between the two teams took place last month and ended in a 3-1 victory for AZ Alkmaar. Vitesse were poor on the day and will need to bounce back this week.

Vitesse form guide: W-L-D-W-L

AZ Alkmaar form guide: W-L-L-D-D

Vitesse vs AZ Alkmaar Team News

Vitesse

Jacob Rasmussen, Maximilian Wittek, Yann Gboho, and Alois Dominik Oroz are injured and have been ruled out of this fixture. Nikolai Frederiksen was sent off last week and is suspended for this match.

Injured: Jacob Rasmussen, Maximilian Wittek, Yann Gboho, Alois Dominik Oroz

Doubtful: None

Suspended: Nikolai Frederiksen

AZ Alkmaar

Jelle Duin and Jeremy Helmer are currently recovering from injuries and will not be able to feature in this game. AZ Alkmaar are unlikely to make drastic changes to their team for this fixture.

Injured: Jelle Duin, Jeremy Helmer

Doubtful: None

Suspended: None

Vitesse vs AZ Alkmaar Predicted XI

Vitesse Predicted XI (4-3-3): Jeroen Houwen; Million Manhoef, Riechedly Bazoer, Danilho Doekhi, Eli Dasa; Matus Bero, Sondre Tronstad, Patrick Vroegh; Toni Domgjoni, Ikoma Lois Openda, Thomas Buitink

AZ Alkmaar Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Peter Vindahl; Owen Wijndal, Bruno Martins Indi, Pantelis Hatzidiakos, Aslak Witry; Jordy Clasie, Fredrik Midtsjo; Dani de Wit, Hakon Evjen, Jesper Karlsson, Vangelis Pavlidis

Vitesse vs AZ Alkmaar Prediction

AZ Alkmaar have struggled to meet expectations since the turn of the year and have a point to prove in this fixture. The away side has impressive players in their ranks and will look to make a statement of intent this week.

Vitesse can pack a punch on their day but have struggled against AZ Alkmaar on several occasions in the past. AZ Alkmaar are the better team at the moment and should be able to win this game.

Prediction: Vitesse 1-2 AZ Alkmaar

About the author

Aditya is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda, covering previews, news, post-match articles and live blogs for 5 years. During his time here, he has had the privilege of covering a press meeting during the collaboration between his favorite club Bengaluru FC and Sevilla, where he got a chance to interact with Sevilla president Jose Castro and explore the grassroots development in his city.

Aditya started following the sport after being dazzled by Ronaldinho’s silky feet at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is a Barcelona fan and unsurprisingly, his favorite manager and players are Pep Guardiola and Andres Iniesta respectively. He admires the latter for his superhuman talent and his off-pitch demeanor, and his winning goal in Spain’s 2010 World Cup final win over the Netherlands left a lasting impact on Aditya.

The match-preview specialist believes that his ongoing five-year stint at Sportskeeda has given him the ability to identify the distinct line between emotional and fact-based articles, which separates him from other journalists. For him, fact-checking is the most integral part of his writing process and he only relies on authentic platforms for data.

Aditya is a semi-professional pianist and likes to participate in concerts and recitals when not immersed in football.

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Edited by Aditya Hosangadi