Crystal Palace vs AZ Alkmaar prediction, H2H and probable lineups – 6 November 2025
One of the standout fixtures of Matchday 3 in the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League group stage will take place on Thursday at Selhurst Park in London, where local side Crystal Palace hosts Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar. Here’s a betting tip for the outcome of this clash, with strong chances for a winning pick.
Match preview
Crystal Palace suffered a surprising setback in the second round, falling at home to AEK Larnaca, and thus complicated their quest for top spot in the group. That defeat was the Eagles’ first in this European campaign, and likely came down to underestimating their opponents and failing to regroup when the match didn’t go their way.
Overall, Palace rarely give much away at home—the loss to AEK was their first at Selhurst Park since mid-February 2025. Given the caliber of their next opponent, the Londoners have every reason to get back on track and prove that the slip against AEK was just a minor blip.
AZ Alkmaar, meanwhile, have been inconsistent and heavily reliant on home advantage. After a disappointing opening-round defeat to AEK, they managed to edge out Slovan, but did so with a conservative display. The stats show the Dutch side consistently struggle on their travels, especially at the back.
AZ’s away form is a real concern—six defeats in their last eight Conference League matches on the road. They also tend to concede two or more goals per game, which could be a decisive factor against a motivated Palace side in London.
Probable lineups
- Crystal Palace: Henderson, Kanwo, Lacroix, Mitchell, Muñoz, Guehi, Lerma, Pino, Sarr, Hughes, Mateta
- AZ Alkmaar: Owusu-Oduro, Goes, Casious, Dekker, de Wit, Smit, Koopmeiners, Mijnans, Sadick, Jensen, Batista
Match facts and head-to-head
- There have been no more than two goals scored in Crystal Palace’s last four Conference League matches.
- AZ Alkmaar have failed to win six of their last eight away games in the Conference League.
- The Dutch side have conceded two or more goals in six of their previous eight games on the road in this competition.
Prediction
After that unexpected loss to the Cypriots, Crystal Palace will be eager to bounce back in front of their home fans. The Eagles should be able to exploit AZ’s defensive frailties away from home—especially given the visitors’ shaky record on their travels.
