Belgian side Anderlecht carry a 2-0 advantage into the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final showdown with Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar.
The two sides will renew acquaintances at AZ's AFAS Stadion on Thursday, with the victor facing the winner of the clash between West Ham United and Gent in the semi-finals.
Match preview
© Reuters
AZ Alkmaar can count themselves slightly unfortunate to have suffered a 2-0 defeat in Belgium last week, as the Dutch side registered more shots than Anderlecht while edging the possession.
However, Pascal Jansen's men failed to make the most of their opportunities and were ultimately made to pay for their wastefulness, with Michael Murillo and Majeed Ashimeru scoring the goals to put Anderlecht in control of the tie.
AZ bounced back with a dominant 3-0 victory at Fortuna Sittard on Sunday, courtesy of goals from Jens Odgaard, Milos Kerkez and Vangelis Pavlidis, with the Cheeseheads cementing fourth place in the Eredivisie table.
Although AZ have managed to win just one of their last five matches in all competitions – recording one draw and three losses in the process – Sunday's victory will give them confidence ahead of the second leg.
Including qualifiers, AZ Alkmaar have won 12 of their 15 European games this season, scoring at least two goals in 10 of those victories, so they know what it takes to produce a positive result when it matters.
© Reuters
Anderlecht head into the second leg on the back of a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of Genk, as the Belgian Pro League leaders kept the Purple & White in 10th place with an eye-catching performance on Sunday.
Despite racking up 52% possession and 13 shots – six of which were on target – Anderlecht failed to deal with Genk's attacking firepower, while goals from Islam Slimani and Anders Dreyer did little to help the visitors' cause.
It is worth remembering, however, that Anderlecht carried a seven-game unbeaten run into Sunday's clash, having chalked up five wins and two draws across all competitions.
On top of that, Brian Riemer's men kept six consecutive clean sheets before falling to Genk, so they will be eager to put the thrashing behind them as quickly as possible and rediscover their impressive recent form.
Having lost just three of their last 17 encounters in all competitions – winning five of their previous seven – Anderlecht will be hopeful of booking their place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals.
Team News
© Reuters
AZ Alkmaar look set to be without key winger Jesper Karlsson for the second leg, as the Sweden international has missed the past two games due to injury.
Karlsson has racked up 10 goals and eight assists this season, including two goals and four assists in the Europa Conference League, so the 24-year-old will be a big miss for the hosts.
As a result, Vangelis Pavlidis – who has netted 20 goals this term – will continue to lead AZ's attack, with Jens Odgaard, Sven Mijnans and Myron van Brederode expected to operate behind the lone striker.
It is also worth pointing out that Dani de Wit, Bruno Martins Indi, Maxim Dekker and Sem Westerveld find themselves on AZ's injury list.
Anderlecht will be without playmaker Yari Verschaeren for the rest of the season as the 21-year-old nurses an ACL tear, while French midfielder Adrien Trebel is also sidelined through injury.
Brian Riemer could be tempted to name the same XI that started last week's first-leg triumph, meaning that Islam Slimani is likely to be joined by Anders Dreyer and Francis Amuzu in attack.
Veteran centre-back Jan Vertonghen will continue alongside Zeno Debast in defence, while Amadou Diawara and Lior Refaelov are expected to join Majeed Ashimeru in midfield.
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Sugawara, Beukema, Hatzidiakos, Kerkez; Reijnders, Clasie; Odgaard, Mijnans, Van Brederode; Pavlidis
Anderlecht possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Murillo, Debast, Vertonghen, N'Diaye; Diawara, Ashimeru, Refaelov; Dreyer, Slimani, Amuzu
We say: AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Anderlecht (Anderlecht to win 3-2 on aggregate)
We expect AZ Alkmaar to come out fighting in front of an expectant AFAS Stadion crowd, but Anderlecht should be able to limit the damage and reach the semi-finals thanks to their first-leg efforts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
