Sports Mole previews Saturday's Eredivisie clash between AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Alkmar AND PSV-Eindhoven They return to action on Saturday when they meet at the AFAS Stadium in matchday nine of the Eredivisie.
The two teams had contrasting results just before the international break: the home team lost to Fortuna Sittard, while Ruud-Witten came from behind to beat Sparta Rotterdam.
Competition Preview
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AZ Alkmaar failed to stop the rot in the last minute as they went down 1-0 against Fortuna Sittard when the two teams met at the Offermans Joosten stadium two Saturdays ago.
Allen Halilovic He failed to convert the penalty when both teams went to half-time in the 45th minute, but the defender Rodrigo Guth Fortuna recovered with a header in the 78th minute to break the deadlock and give them the three points.
AZ Alkmaar have lost three games in a row, with league defeats against Utrecht and Fortuna Sittard following a 2-0 defeat against Athletic Club in the Europa League on October 3.
Before this race, marta martensThey are unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches in all competitions since defeats against Heracles and PSV Eindhoven in April with 15 wins and four draws.
Despite his poor form, De Gasporane currently occupies third position Eredivisie standings With 19 points from their first eight games, a win this weekend would put them level on points with second-placed Utrecht.
However, the next step for AZ Alkmaar will be a difficult challenge against an opponent who has won 14 of the last 20 meetings between the two teams in all competitions, including three consecutive victories in their last three meetings since May 2023.
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PSV Eindhoven, on the other hand, had their work cut out for them in their final match before the international break as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Sparta Rotterdam.
They saw Rood-witten follow Tobias Lauridsen Rotterdam ahead in the 10th minute, but own goal Arno Verschuren AND Mira de JongA goal in the 37th minute turned the game around and by then they were already in the second half to see the victory.
Before that, PSV picked up their first point of the 2024-25 Champions League campaign in a 1-1 draw against Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon at the Philips Stadium on October 1.
With the result against Sparta Rotterdam, Peter Bose''s men have won each of their eight Eredivisie matches to lead the table by five points and are unbeaten in 15 consecutive matches in the league, with 14 wins and one draw since March 3-1. Defeat against NEC Nijmegen.
PSV Eindhoven's good start to its Eredivisie title defense is down to its ruthless performance in front of goal, where it has already scored 27 goals, 10 more than any other team in the division, keeping three clean sheets and conceding five to the rival. . End of launch.
AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie format:
AZ Alkmaar form (all matches):
PSV Eindhoven Eredivisie Form:
PSV Eindhoven form (all matches):
Group messages
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AZ is left without the 20-year-old defender Wooter becauseHe has missed each of the last five games since being injured following the Europa League match against Elfsborg on September 25.
He joins the club's injured list Classy Geordie and goalkeeper Wouter Kos, 22, currently recovering from hamstring and knee problems respectively.
Meanwhile, PSV will have to do without the services of the Belgian defender Mateo PresasThe last time he was suspended after receiving a straight red card against Sparta Rotterdam.
Regarding injuries, Ruud-Witten is left without several players of the team's spine Joey Weirman (hip), Hirving Lozano (muscle) and Phobana Fuq (kneeling) they continue with their mantras at one side.
dutch midfielder Gerdy Schouten Sparta missed the match against Rotterdam and the former Barcelona player is an injury doubt this weekend. Sergiño test He continues his long road to full fitness after suffering a knee injury in April.
AZ Alkmaar Possible starting lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; Casio, Penetra, Decker, Wolff; Burmeister, Koopmeiners; Sadiq, Mijnens, van Pommel; Parrot
Probable starting lineup for PSV Eindhoven:
Benitez; Junior, Flamenco, Boscaglie, Carsthorpe; Ledesma, Dill, Sybari; Perisic, De Jong, Tillman
We say: AZ Alkmaar 1-3 PSV Eindhoven
Following the start of the campaign, AZ Alkmaar have suffered a dip in form in recent weeks and now face the tough challenge of facing a high-flying PSV side who boast a 100% record in the league.
While we expect AZ to face a tough challenge in front of their home fans, we are rooting for Bosz's men to pick up where they left off before the international break and make it nine wins in nine.
Click here to see the data analysis of the most likely results, scores and more for this match.
