AZ Alkmaar vs Shelbourne: Can Shelbourne put up a fight on the road?
On Thursday, 27 November, AZ Alkmaar host Shelbourne in UEFA Champions League Matchday 5. Kickoff is at 18:45 CET, and I’ve got a betting suggestion for this clash.
AZ Alkmaar vs Shelbourne: Match facts and H2H
- AZ Alkmaar have lost their last three matches.
- In each of those three games, AZ conceded three goals or more.
- AZ’s scoring streak now stands at eight matches.
- Away from home, Shelbourne have lost just one of their last four matches and won the other three.
- This season, AZ have suffered only one home defeat across all competitions.
- AZ have scored in both halves in 41% of their matches this season.
- Only 5% of AZ’s matches this season have ended in scoreless defeats, compared to Shelbourne’s 36%.
- AZ have kept a clean sheet in 36% of their fixtures, while Shelbourne have done so in 18%.
- AZ Alkmaar and Shelbourne have never met before.
AZ Alkmaar vs Shelbourne: Match preview
AZ Alkmaar are far from their best at the moment. The Dutch side have lost three in a row, conceding at least three goals in each of those outings. Their Conference League campaign has been equally unstable. They were beaten 0–4 away by AEK and 1–3 by Crystal Palace. Their lone win came against Slovan Bratislava, 1–0. That leaves them with just three points from three matches. The playoff chances are still alive, with three fixtures left, but they urgently need to start collecting points.
The same applies to Shelbourne—perhaps even more so. The Irish side opened their Conference League run with a 0–0 draw against Häcken, but followed that with two surprising defeats. First, a 0–1 loss to North Macedonian side Shkëndija, then a narrow 0–1 home defeat to Kosovo’s Drita. Just one point from three rounds places them 30th in the standings. The gap to the playoff zone isn’t huge, but with only three matches remaining, Shelbourne must start winning.
Probable line-ups
- AZ Alkmaar: Zoet; Dijkstra, Goes, Penetra, De Wit; Koopmeiners, Smit; Patati, Mijnans, Sadiq; Parrott
- Shelbourne: Speel; Mbeng, Barrett, McInroy, Ledwidge; Henry-Francis, Coyle, Lunney; Coote, Wood, Odubeko
Prediction
AZ are in a rough patch and are desperate to get back on track. I expect them to push for a win to stay in the playoff race. Shelbourne will fight, but my recommendation is AZ Alkmaar’s individual total over 2.
