AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray prediction, H2H & Probable Line-ups – February 13, 2025
The first leg of the Europa League playoffs between AZ Alkmaar and Istanbul's Galatasaray will be played on Thursday at the AFAS Stadium. Here’s a betting suggestion for the outcome of this match with promising chances of success.
Match Preview
Under Maarten Martens' guidance, AZ Alkmaar finished the Europa League group stage in 19th place. In the final round, the Dutch side suffered a disappointing 3-4 defeat to Ferencváros. However, their 11 points were enough to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Interestingly, before that loss, the team had a four-match unbeaten streak (2 wins and 2 draws), boosting their morale and confidence. AZ enters the clash with the Turks on the back of three consecutive wins across all competitions. Notably, over the weekend, they defeated Zwolle 2-0 in the domestic league.
Galatasaray ended the group stage with a 1-2 away loss to Ajax, but prior to that, Okan Buruk’s team remained unbeaten for seven Europa League matches, achieving three wins and four draws. Galatasaray finished in 14th place, just one point shy of the top-8 zone.
It’s worth noting that Galatasaray's matches in regular time were highly productive, with an average of 4.4 goals per game, making them some of the most entertaining encounters of the group stage. Last Thursday, Galatasaray secured a 4-1 away victory over Boluspor in the Turkish Cup.
Probable Lineups
- AZ Alkmaar: Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro – Denzo Kasius, Wouter Goes, Maxim Dekker, Mees de Wit – Peer Koopmeiners, Kees Smit, Mijnans – Jayden Addai, Mykel Lahdo, Ernest Poku
- Galatasaray: Fernando Muslera – Abdülkerim Bardakçı, Baltacı Metahan, Kaan Ayhan, Gabriel Sara – Kerem Demirbay, Dries Mertens, Berkan Kutlu – Yunus Akgün, Roland Sallai, Barış Yılmaz
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- In 10 of AZ Alkmaar's last 14 Europa League matches, there were no more than three goals scored.
- Both teams scored in Galatasaray's last 11 Europa League matches.
- At least three goals were recorded in 10 of those 11 matches.
- During the group stage, the teams drew 1-1 at AZ Alkmaar’s home ground.
Prediction
AZ Alkmaar has demonstrated impressive stability at home, remaining unbeaten in the Europa League for 16 matches (8 wins and 8 draws). Moreover, in 9 of their last 11 home games, the Dutch side scored at least twice. Meanwhile, Galatasaray faces significant struggles on the road, failing to win in this tournament for seven consecutive matches (5 draws and 2 losses). Our suggested bet is "AZ with a Draw No Bet" at odds of 1.99.
