Read our prediction for AZ Alkmaar vs Rijeka below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between AZ Alkmaar vs Rijeka and you can increase your winnings!
AZ Alkmaar vs Rijeka Prediction & Betting tips
AZ’s peculiar start to the season will be continued on Thursday evening. While elsewhere Real Sociedad and Napoli meet, Rijeka comes to visit Alkmaar. Can AZ strengthen its lead in group F?
AZ:
The life of an AZ supporter is not easy, as was certainly clear from the start of the season of the Alkmaarders this season. As with PSV, the outbreak of the corona virus is also very present at AZ. According to spokespersons for AZ, the club adheres to all regulations, but fifteen Alkmaarders have already been tested positive with the virus. After five games, Arne Slot’s selection has only five points. That is a small crisis, because AZ was the biggest title fighter outside Ajax in the Eredivisie last year. Now the team is tenth after having drawn five times. Each time a lead was given away against relatively easy opponents. Fortuna Sittard tied the score in the 90 + 6th minute, while Sparta and VVV Venlo both scored twice in the final minutes. When AZ also gave away a lead against ADO after a goal in the 87th minute last weekend, things went wrong again. “We get so many opportunities and so few shoot in. Then you can still get into trouble at the end. I think today was just one thing; I’ve seen opportunities, I almost laugh about it, but it’s not normal, “said Slot after the fourth given away lead in a row.
The only game won this season was against the Italian Napoli and that was downright bizarre. After seven games without a win, it had to go to Naples with only nineteen players. Napoli had a whopping 73% ball possession and fired no fewer than twenty shots. AZ only shot twice but was very efficient. The false occasional striker Dani de Wit scored the only goal of the match in the 57th minute. In the final phase, Victor Osimhen and Lorenzo Insigne did not make it too difficult for Marco Bizot and AZ provided a shocking result. The Italian press was full of praise for the catenaccio football of the Alkmaarders.
Rijeka:
Outside AZ and big clubs like Napoli and Real Sociedad, Rijeka is the least known name in the group. The Croatian club is therefore the team to beat, but immediately after the draw, Slot was not very convinced of his chances. Outside the third qualifying round in which Rijeka defeated the Ukrainian Kolos Kovalivka, the Danish FC Copenhagen was also beaten. As a result, AZ’s teacher thought that the club should not be underestimated. After the club was eliminated by KAA Gent in the Europa League qualification last season, the club was able to focus on the competition. Rijeka finished in third place in the Croatian league last season. Flume finished behind Dinamo Zagreb and NK Lokomotiva Zagreb, but managed to win the Croatian Cup again. In that cup both teams were beaten 1-0, which means that Rijeka certainly shows that they can play football well.
The Croatian cup winner also started this season convincingly. Four of the first six league games were won. With an unbeaten run of five matches, the selection of Slovenian trainer Simon Rozman confidently came to the match against Real Sociedad. However, the Croats managed to create few opportunities. One shot ended up on the post, while Real Sociedad also had a hard time. In the end, Jon Bautista came in for Mikel Oyarzabal in the 85th minute. Bautista – who you may know from his time at Eupen – scored the winning in the 93rd minute. Real Sociedad took the points from Rijeka at the last minute.