Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar prediction 03.10.2024 | Europa League
Athletic Bilbao
Kick off:
Date:
AZ Alkmaar
1
1.76
X
4.04
2
5.02
Contents
- Competition: Europa League
- Date: 3rd October 2024
- Kick-off: 20:00 UTC +1 / 21:00 CEST
- Venue: San Mamés
AZ Alkmaar will be aiming to put an end to their three games losing streak on their travels in Europe when they take on Athletic Bilbao on Thursday night.
Athletic Bilbao enjoyed their best season in La Liga for years last term. The hosts finished in the top five for the first time in over eight years and in doing so secured a place in the Europa League. They had to come from behind to draw level with Serie A side Roma in their opening game of their European campaign but they will fancy their chances of a win at home against Alkmaar.
AZ meanwhile have finished fourth in each of their last two Eredivisie campaigns. The Farmers made a brilliant start to the 2024-25 campaign, picking up six wins and four clean sheets from their first seven outings, including a 3-2 win over Elfsborg in the Europa League. Things didn’t go well for AZ last weekend though with the team losing to Utrecht at home. Head coach Maarten Martens will be eager for a response on Thursday.
Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar Betting Tips: Both teams to score
Bilbao had one of the best home defences in the Spanish top flight last season but that defensive solidity has been missing this season. Ernesto Valverde’s side boast just two clean sheets from their nine competitive games this season and bets on ‘’btts – yes’’ were won in each of the last three encounters.
AZ Alkmaar also struggled defensively in their recent outings. The visitors enter Thursday’s game with a run of four consecutive games without a clean sheet and shipped 2 or more goals in each of the last two.
- Best Tip: BTTS - Yes
- Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar prediction: 2-1
Athletic Bilbao vs AZ Alkmaar Head to Head (H2H) stats
-
Athletic Bilbao
2 : 2
AZ Alkmaar
Europa League
-
AZ Alkmaar
2 : 1
Athletic Bilbao
Europa League
Athletic Bilbao team news
Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala saw a straight red card in the draw with Sevilla last weekend but that will not result in a suspension in Europe.
Unai Simón (wrist), Yeray Álvarez (hamstring), Oihan Sancet (hamstring), Beñat Prados (muscle) and Ander Herrera (adductor) will all miss the visit of AZ this week due to injuries.
Last matches of Athletic Bilbao
-
Athletic Bilbao
1 : 1
Sevilla
La Liga
-
AS Roma
1 : 1
Athletic Bilbao
Europa League
-
Athletic Bilbao
3 : 1
Celta Vigo
La Liga
-
Leganes
0 : 2
Athletic Bilbao
La Liga
-
Las Palmas
2 : 3
Athletic Bilbao
La Liga
Athletic Bilbao lineup
Goalkeeper
-
13
Julen Agirrezabala
Defenders
-
18
Óscar de Marcos
-
14
Unai Núñez
-
4
Aitor Paredes
-
15
Iñigo Lekue
Midfielders
-
23
Mikel Jauregizar
-
20
Unai Gómez
-
6
Mikel Vesga
Forwards
-
10
Nico Williams
-
9
Iñaki Williams
-
7
Alejandro Berenguer Remiro
AZ Alkmaar team news
AZ Alkmaar head coach Maarten Martens is expected to make wholesale changes to the side that was on the pitch from kickoff in defeat to Utrecht in the league last weekend.
Having featured as substitutes in that encounter, Mayckel Lahdo and Denso Kasius are among those who could be promoted from the bench.
Sem Westerveld and Lewis Schouten missed that game due to injuries and Thursday’s game will come too soon for the pair
Last matches of AZ Alkmaar
-
AZ Alkmaar
1 : 2
Utrecht
Eredivisie
-
AZ Alkmaar
3 : 2
Elfsborg
Europa League
-
PEC Zwolle
1 : 2
AZ Alkmaar
Eredivisie
-
AZ Alkmaar
9 : 1
Heerenveen
Eredivisie
-
RKC Waalwijk
0 : 3
AZ Alkmaar
Eredivisie
AZ Alkmaar lineup
Goalkeeper
-
1
Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro
Defenders
-
30
Denso Kasius
-
5
Alexandre Penetra
-
4
Bruno Martins Indi
-
18
David Møller Wolfe
Midfielders
-
6
Peer Koopmeiners
-
10
Sven Mijnans
-
8
Jordy Clasie
Forwards
-
23
Mayckel Lahdo
-
9
Troy Parrott
-
7
Ruben van Bommel
Three reasons we expect both teams to score in this game
- Bets on btts – yes were won in each of the last three games of Athletic Club.
- At least three goals were seen in each of the previous two meetings between AZ and Bilbao.
- Both teams scored in each of the last four games of AZ Alkmaar.
Main prediction Athletic Bilbao - AZ Alkmaar
Both Teams to Score
Best Odds:
22Bet
1.83
Additional predictions
Athletic Bilbao & AZ Alkmaar current standing in Europa League
| League Stage | P | W | D | L |
G - A
|
GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajax | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 - 0 | +4 | 3 |
| 2 | FCSB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 - 1 | +3 | 3 |
| 3 | Lazio | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 5 | Galatasaray | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 1 | +2 | 3 |
| 6 | Rangers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 7 | Slavia Praha | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 8 | Olympique Lyonnais | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 9 | AZ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 2 | +1 | 3 |
| 10 | Bodø / Glimt | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 - 2 | +1 | 3 |
| 11 | Anderlecht | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 12 | Fenerbahçe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 13 | Sporting Braga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 - 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 14 | Viktoria Plzeň | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 - 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 15 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 - 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Athletic Club | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | FC Twente | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Real Sociedad | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | TSG Hoffenheim | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | FC Midtjylland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Manchester United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Nice | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Roma | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 - 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Elfsborg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 - 3 | -1 | 0 |
| 25 | Porto | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 - 3 | -1 | 0 |
| 26 | Ferencváros | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 - 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 27 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 - 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 28 | Union Saint-Gilloise | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 - 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 29 | PAOK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 - 3 | -2 | 0 |
| 30 | Ludogorets | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 31 | Malmö FF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 32 | Olympiakos Piraeus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 33 | Rīgas FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 - 4 | -3 | 0 |
| 34 | Dynamo Kyiv | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 35 | Qarabağ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 36 | Beşiktaş | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 - 4 | -4 | 0 |