Matchday two of the 2022-23 Europa Conference League group-stage campaign sees AZ Alkmaar play host to Vaduz at the AFAS Stadion on Thursday.
The home side got their European journey off to a perfect start with all three points, while their visitors had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Match preview
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AZ Alkmaar got the better of Dnipro-1 courtesy of a narrow 1-0 victory when the teams faced off at the Kosicka Futbalova Arena last Thursday.
The game was decided three minutes past the hour mark when Dani de Wit broke the deadlock to get the job done for Pascal Jansen's men in Slovakia.
Consequently, the Cheeseheads currently lead the way in Group E after the opening round of matches, two points clear at the top of the standings.
However, they played out a 1-1 stalemate in their most recent league encounter on Sunday against FC Twente and have dropped to fourth place in the Eredivisie table.
With a mouth-watering encounter against Ajax to come this weekend, Thursday's hosts go in search of yet another feather in the cap on a continental front.
Vaduz were held to a goalless stalemate against Apollon Limassol in last week's Conference League curtain-raiser for both teams at the Rheinpark Stadion.
Alessandro Mangiarratti's men failed to find the back of the net for the first time in 10 games on their own turf since June and had to settle for a point.
A 1-1 draw against Xamax also ensued in Stolz von Liechtenstein's most recent league affair which now sees them sit bottom but one in the Swiss Challenge League.
Having picked up a first-ever point in a major European tournament last time out, Thursday's hosts will be aiming to go one better this time around.
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Team News
AZ's Vangelis Pavlidis is ruled out due to a leg injury, while Sweden international Jesper Karlsson misses out through a muscle injury.
Thirty-year-old Bruno Martins Indi remains sidelined through a knee problem and is yet to feature in any game since late August against Cambuur.
Fuad Rahimi is a guaranteed absentee for Vaduz in Thursday's contest as the defender is yet to make his comeback from a long-term knee injury.
The away side will also have to make do with the absence of Liechtenstein international Sandro Wieser, who remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Verhulst; Chatzidiakos, Kerkez, Dekker, Beukema; Reijnders, Clasie, De Wit; Evjen, Odgaard, Van Brederode
Vaduz possible starting lineup:
Buchel; Gasser, Isik, Xhemajli; Goelzer, Gajic, Dobras, Ulrich; Hasler, Sutter, Cicek
We say: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 Vaduz
AZ boast the more experienced crop of players at this level and will heavily fancy themselves to emerge victorious here. We expect the hosts to come away with all three points in a fairly routine manner.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adepoju Marvellous
