Analysis and prediction for Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar: A crushing victory for the visitors.
The Europa League match between Athletic Bilbao and AZ Alkmaar will take place at 2:00 AM on October 4th. Nghe An Newspaper provides statistics, analysis of form, football predictions, and a score prediction for this match.
Latest team news for Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar
Athletic Bilbao's Spanish international goalkeeper, Unai Simon, remains sidelined due to a wrist injury and is not expected to return until after the upcoming holiday.
This could pose a challenge for the team, as reserve goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala was sent off in the last match, but he will feature in this game before serving his La Liga suspension.
Yeray will be sidelined with a hamstring injury, Oihan Sancet will also be unavailable, while veteran midfielder Ander Herrera is dealing with a muscle problem.
On the AZ Alkmaar side, Bruno Martins Indi suffered an injury and was suspended for the opening match against Elfsborg, but has returned and is expected to feature in this game. Following an impressive performance with four goals against Heerenveen, former Tottenham Hotspur player Troy Parrott has scored in two consecutive matches against Elfsborg and Utrecht, and is likely to continue leading the attack.
Wouter Goes is not yet ready to return from injury, while reserve goalkeeper Sem Westerveld is also absent due to a knee injury.
Latest predicted lineups for Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar
Athletic Bilbao:
Agirrezabala; Gorosabel, Dani Vivian, Paredes, Yuri Berchiche; Vesga, Ruiz de Galarreta, Unai Gomez; I Williams, Guruzeta, N Williams
AZ Alkmaar:
Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Penetra, Martins Indi, Wolfe; Clasie, Mijnans, Koopmeiners; Sadiq, Parrott, Van Bommel
Latest football match prediction: Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar
Athletic Bilbao will feel they are back on track after a surprising and prolonged absence from continental competition, especially considering they qualified seven times in nine years between 2009 and 2018. Securing the return of European football to San Mames is believed to be a key factor in Nico Williams's stay at the club this summer, as he is eager to represent his team at the continental level.
A late goal from Aitor Paredes at the Stadio Olimpico secured Athletic a valuable point against Roma in what is considered the toughest opening match of the group stage. Under Ernesto Valverde's leadership, the team will have to travel to Türkiye twice, but they are confident with four home games against AZ, Slavia Prague, Elfsborg, and Viktoria Plzen.
Last weekend, Athletic drew 1-1 against Sevilla, but in the opposite circumstances to their match against Roma, where Sevilla snatched points in injury time, causing them to drop out of the top four in La Liga despite having won four of their previous five matches. AZ will have concerns when they visit San Mames, as Athletic's home form is very impressive. Their defeat against Atletico Madrid at the end of August was their only home loss since the start of last season.
AZ entered this match somewhat disappointed after their unbeaten run from the start of the season came to an end. Maarten Martens' side had earned 19 points from 21 domestic league games, but lost 2-1 to Utrecht at home. However, they had a strong start in the Europa League, coming from behind to beat Elfsborg 3-2, with Troy Parrott scoring the winning goal from the penalty spot.
This was only AZ's third win in 11 Europa League matches, and their away form is a concern, with five consecutive away defeats, including their last three in Spain. While repeating their 1981 final run is unlikely, replicating their 2023 Europa Conference League semi-final run would be a remarkable achievement. Athletic rarely falter at home, and after their impressive result against Roma, they will be very competitive in this season's Europa League.
Predicted score for Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar
Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have provided our predictions for the match.Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaaras follows:
- Sportsmole:Athletic Bilbao 2-0 AZ Alkmaar
- WhoScore:Athletic Bilbao 3-1 AZ Alkmaar
- Our newspaper predicts:Athletic Bilbao 2-0 AZ Alkmaar
When and where can I watch Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar live?
To watch the Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar Europa League match live at 2:00 AM on October 4th, viewers can tune in to K+ Sport.hereor online sports channels. We hope you enjoy watching football.
