Looking to work their way up the table in Group E, Aston Villa travel to Netherlands to face Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in match-day three of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Here’s the latest heading into Thursday’s fixture at the AFAS Stadion…
Words by: Liam Davies
THE BUILD UP
Aston Villa look to mark Unai Emery’s one-year anniversary at the club with a big three points in the Europa Conference League. The West-Midlands outfit have experienced a mixed start to life back in Europe after suffering a disappointing loss away in Poland to Legia Warsaw, before the dramatic late winner at home to Bosnian outfit HŠK Zrinjski Mostar last time out, thanks to captain John McGinn’s 94th minute header.
Since their last Group E fixture, the Villans have been in Premier League action, picking up a valuable point away at rivals Wolves, before ripping apart David Moyes’ West Ham United at home last weekend.
Last Sunday’s claret and blue clash at Villa Park was the first game back after October’s international break and was perfectly poised with both sides making good starts to the campaign. It was Emery’s Villa who would prevail however, with Douglas Luiz striking either side of half time, Ollie Watkins bagging his fifth in the league and Leon Bailey converting to cancel out Jarrod Bowen’s 56th minute goal.
This week’s opponents, AZ Alkmaar, enter Thursday’s game in good form themselves, having won their previous four games in all competitions and remain unbeaten since their unexpected Conference League defeat away in Mostar a month ago.
On Saturday, AZ were able to see off league strugglers Heerenveen by three goals to nil, courtesy of 24-year-old striker Vangelis Pavlidis’ hat-trick at the AFAS Stadion. The Greek forward extended his tally to 14 for the season and his goals helped his side up to second in the division after nine games played.
Pavlidis broke an Eredivisie record on the day, becoming the first player to score in each of the first nine fixtures to begin the season. De Kaasboeren remain undefeated in the league and are behind only PSV who have won all of their games.
Pascal Jansen’s team look to continue their excellent form as they prepare to host Premier League opposition this evening.
Unai Emery has nothing but respect for their Eredvisie counterparts. On their Conference League match-day three opponents, the Spaniard said: “I played AZ Alkmaar in 2012 and we lost here with Valencia. I remember it. Last year they played the semi-final against West Ham. They were very close to winning against them.
“If we want to do something important in the competition, we must show it.”
Can the Dutch side make it five wins in a row and increase their chances of making it out of Group E with a big win at home or will Unai Emery’s side prove too much and will it be the Villans who claim all three points on their travels?
TEAM NEWS
ASTON VILLA
Aston Villa will once again be without duo Álex Moreno and Jacob Ramsey this week. The pair have struggled with injuries since the end of the last season, with the former yet to feature in claret and blue at all this term.
Despite reports that the Spaniard could have returned after the recently passed international break, Moreno continues to feel discomfort and a comeback around the time of November’s set of international fixtures is looking more likely for the number 15.
Colombian forward John Durán is available for Thursday’s game in Alkmaar. The January signing was not a part of the squad that faced West Ham on Sunday with rumours that the number 24 had possibly fallen out with Unai Emery.
The head coach confirmed that Durán was just injured however. He said: “The only truth is he was not available to play for Sunday because he was injured.
“He came back from Colombia being injured. We had to support and help him every day to focus on only football.”
Additionally, Nicolò Zaniolo has travelled with the squad and is available for selection, whilst Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendía remain sidelined with their long-term knee injuries.
AZ ALKMAAR
Pascal Jansen will be without Swedish forward Mayckel Lahdo on Thursday evening with the the 20-year-old suspended after receiving a red card in the last Conference League outing against Legia Warsaw.
Lahdo was dismissed in the 65th minute after a high challenge on Legia’s Yuri Ribeiro.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Sem Westerveld (knee) and defender Mees de Wit (foot) miss out through injury.
Aside from this however, AZ have a fully fit squad to face Aston Villa in mid-week with Yukinari Sugawara, Jordy Clasie and Dani de Wit all set to feature alongside the likes of Matt Ryan, Riechedly Bazoer and Vangelis Pavlidis.
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A BIT ON ALKMAAR
AZ Alkmaar are one of the most in-form teams domestically in the Netherlands and, would it not be for PSV’s faultless start to the campaign, de Kaasboeren would be top of the Eredivisie.
The two-time league winners have scored an impressive 36 goals in 15 fixtures across all competitions and boast a terrific defensive record too, conceding just four goals in their opening nine league games.
Manager Pascal Jansen joined the club as a coach in July 2018, after spending the beginning of his teaching career at PSV Eindhoven. The 50-year-old London-born coach was promoted to the role he now occupies in December 2020 where he has since registered successive third, fourth and fifth place finishes.
Last season, Jansen led his AZ side to the Conference League semi-finals where they were knocked out by eventual winners West Ham United by three goals to one over the two legs. Alkmaar have been a main stay in UEFA competitions for the last six years and so a large part of the squad have European experience and pedigree.
With that being said, Jansen’s side lost some key players over the summer, regenerating approximately €60 million from five player sales. Midfielder Tijjani Reijinders (AC Milan), left-back Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), winger Jesper Karlsson (Bologna), defender Sam Beukema (Bologna) and centre-half Pantelis Hatzidiakos (Cagliari) all played their part last season and departed in the recent transfer window.
Jansen has been full of praise for his managerial counterpart and tonight’s opposition, describing Unai Emery‘s side as ‘actual masters’ in relation to their effective counter-attacking style of play.
He said: “I watched Villa live against West Ham. Emery’s signature style is much clearer than it was at Arsenal. They have the counter-attack down to a science.
“They are actual masters, if I can say something like that.”
Despite their superb start to the season, Alkmaar will no doubt be considered the underdog tonight. According to Transfermarkt, there is a squad value difference of approximately €530 million between the two teams.
Can AZ defy the odds and defeat Emery’s in-form Villa or will Jansen’s flying Dutchmen triumph this evening?
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MY PREDICTED LINE-UP
Let’s take a look at my predicted line-up for this upcoming fixture at the AFAS Stadion…
Do you agree? Who makes your side? Share now and let’s discuss?
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