Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar Prediction 09.11.2023

• Competition: UEFA Europa Conference League - Group E
• Date: Thursday, 9th, November 2023
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21.00 CET
• Venue: Villa Park (Birmingham)

With hopes of getting one step closer to the UEFA Europa League knockout stage, Aston Villa is set to take on the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar at their home ground, Villa Park, in the 4th gameweek of Group E this Thursday.

Villa suffered an unpleasant blow at a time when they least wanted it because, with a 0-2 loss to Nottingham Forest over the weekend, they not only missed the chance to enter the Premier League's top four but also to narrow the gap to the league leaders, Manchester City, to just two points. Regardless, the Birmingham Lions have no time for dwelling on Sunday's setback. Instead, they must shift their focus to the upcoming challenges, with the midweek fixture offering them a chance to take a significant step towards the round of 16 in UEFA's third-tier competition. After a shock Europa League opener, where they succumbed to a 2-3 defeat against Legia on Polish soil, Emery's men responded impressively by picking up maximum points in their next two European clashes, enabling them to take second place in Group E.

The Premier League side will reignite their rivalries with AZ Alkmaar, a team enjoying a highly successful league campaign thus far, sitting in a commendable second place behind the dominant PSV, with an impressive 26 points earned from eight victories and two draws. Regrettably, one of those two stalemates occurred on Saturday when they conceded a late equalizer in their away fixture against Excelsior, resulting in a 1-1 draw. This represents a significant setback in the race for the Eredivisie title, now trailing the leaders by seven points, albeit with a game in hand. While still boasting an undefeated record in the top-flight of Dutch football, the Cheese Farmers have struggled to replicate that feat on the international front, securing just one win – a 1-0 victory over Legia Warsaw – while enduring losses to Mornar and Aston Villa.

Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar Betting Tips: BTTS

Undoubtedly, Unai Emery has brought new life and energy to the club at Villa Park, but the Spanish tactician will also need to address defensive concerns seriously. His team displays a pronounced vulnerability at the back, leaving ample space for their opponents to punish them, as clearly seen in their most recent league fixture where they easily conceded two goals at the hands of Nottingham Forest, a team not renowned for its scoring prowess. Sunday's disappointment, in fact, marks their eighth Premier League match out of the previous nine where the Villans have been faced with the unenviable task of retrieving the ball from their own net, which speaks volumes about their defensive instability. 

A team like AZ Alkmaar, led by the Greek goal-bomber Vangelis Pavlidis, possesses all the necessary tools to exploit their opponent's defensive weaknesses and illuminate the scoreboard in midweek on English soil. Fascinating, no one has managed to resist AZ's prolific attacking line, considering they've pierced through every opposing defense they've encountered thus far, and we anticipate them to continue this impressive goal-scoring streak this Thursday. In the first encounter just under two weeks ago in the Netherlands, Aston Villa inflicted a painful defeat on the hosts, demolishing them with a 4-1 scoreline. We're hoping that both sides will treat us to another goal-fest where the nets won't stay idle.