Read our prediction for FC Astana vs AZ Alkmaar 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 FC Astana vs AZ Alkmaar and you can increase your winnings!
FC Astana vs AZ Alkmaar Prediction & Betting tips
With a new victory over Astana, thousands of miles away in Kazakhstan, AZ can do excellent business for the next round. Will the Alkmaarders get a three point?
Astana:
FC Astana has been involved in a fierce title fight in Kazakhstan in recent weeks, which put European aspirations on a low level. Last weekend, the team of trainer Roman Hryhorchuk finally won the league title. Astana himself nicely won 0-1 visiting number three Tobol, while close pursuer Kairat Almaty (the team that blocked AZ’s way to the Europa League group stage in 2018) fell by no less than 5-0 to low-flyer Ertis Pavlodar. With one more game to go, the Astana can no longer be traced to the competition.
However, the group stage of the Europa League is a lot less successful. The first three group matches led to just as many defeats. Astana can only reach the next round if it wins from AZ, Partizan and Manchester United. Two weeks ago, Astana lost 6-0 to AZ in The Hague, so the chance of European wintering for Astana is nil. According to coach Hryhorchuk, however, Astana will appear differently in their own stadium and, with the boost of the championship, they have a big chance of beating AZ. That seems to be an understatement, as Astana was eliminated for 90 minutes in The Hague and produced only one shot on goal throughout the match.
AZ:
AZ is unstoppable this season. The team of trainer Arne Slot has risen to second place in the Eredivisie and is also in good shape in Europe. Two weeks ago FC Astana was already beaten 6-0 and after that the Alkmaarders also had no merits for PSV (0-4) and FC Twente (3-0). It already marked the seventh and eighth clean sheet for Marco Bizot. Because the team in the front has super talents such as Oussama Idrissi, Calvin Stengs and Myron Boadu, the team always knows how to score, making the good performance of AZ easy to explain.
AZ also gives little away in Europe. In the preliminary round it did not even take a single hit in the diptych with BK Häcken and Mariupol, while in the group stage Manchester United and Astana failed to make a breach in the Alkmaar defense. AZ is now second in the group with five points from three games. The points were shared against Manchester United and Partizan Belgrade and Astana was therefore beaten well over two weeks ago. With a victory in a very far away away game (six hours of flying and five hours of time difference), AZ does excellent business for European wintering.
The long journey is made without Ron Vlaar, who is not fit enough. Jonas Svensson had to be absent last weekend, but he just boarded the plane to Central Asia. For the rest, there is no reason for Slot to adjust the formula for success.
FC Astana vs AZ Alkmaar head to head matches
24.10.19 EL AZ Alkmaar FC Astana 6 : 0