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[monks data]
AZ Alkmaar
Eredivisie | Gameweek 11
Dec 6, 2020 at 1.30pm UK
AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar
Groningen

AZ
1 - 2
Groningen

Koopmeiners (21')
Midtsjo (8'), Martins Indi (78'), Stengs (90+2'), Koopmeiners (90+3'), Wijndal (90+3')
Midtsjo (57'), Martins Indi (85')
FT(HT: 1-0)
El Messaoudi (69', 74')
Joosten (79')
El Hankouri (90+3')

Preview: AZ vs. Groningen - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Eredivisie clash between AZ and Groningen, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

AZ will host Groningen at the AFAS stadium this weekend, after the hosts picked up a 1-1 draw against Napoli in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Groningen will be in high spirits after their 1-0 win against Willem II last Sunday, with both sides currently on the same points as they head into Sunday's fixture.


Match preview

AZ Alkmaar manager Arne Slot pictured in October 2020© Reuters

AZ remain unbeaten in the league, having picked up four wins and five draws so far, yet are currently 10 points behind leaders Ajax.

Their latest league result saw a narrow 2-1 win over Heracles, with Teun Koopmeiners and Myron Boadu getting on the scoresheet.

However, they were last in action on Thursday evening when Arne Slot's men managed a 1-1 draw against Napoli in matchday five of the Europa League.

This means that the Dutch outfit currently sit third in Group F, just two points below the Serie A side and behind Real Sociedad on goal difference, with their upcoming fixture against Rijeka proving pivotal.

Before that, however, Slot will need to focus his attention back on the league, with AZ picking up all four wins in their last four games in the Eredivisie as they hope to continue their excellent domestic form.

On the other hand, Groningen have started their 2020-21 season well, securing five wins in their opening 10 games.

Their latest win against Willem II featured a goal from Ahmed El Messaoudi, with the defensive midfielder netting his second of the term.

Groningen's away form this season has been pretty mediocre, with Danny Buijs's men recording two wins and two losses on the road.

The last time these two teams met was back in August last year during the early stages of the 2019-20 season, where the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

During their last 10 encounters, AZ have managed an impressive six wins against their opponents, compared to Groningen's solo victory.

AZ Eredivisie form: WWWWDD
AZ form (all competitions): DWDWWL

Groningen Eredivisie form: WDLWWD


Team News

AZ Alkmaar players look dejected against Real Sociedad on November 5, 2020© Reuters

AZ have a few injury concerns heading into this game, with both Jonas Svensson and Jeremy Helmer set to miss Sunday's match.

Ron Vlaar and Jordy Clasie are also doubtful, and Slot is expected to rest a few players that featured in midweek.

Boadu could find his way back into the side, after the striker scored in their latest league game against Heracles.

As for Groningen, the visitors have only one injury heading into this fixture, with Arjen Robben set to miss the game.

Apart from the winger, Buijs is expected to have a lot of options to choose from for Sunday's match.

AZ possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Sugawara, Letschert, Martins Indi, Wijndal; Midtsjo, Koopmeiners; Stengs, De Wit, Karlsson; Boadu

Groningen possible starting lineup:
Padt; Dankerlui, Itakura, Van Hintum, Gudmundsson; El Messaoudi, Matusiwa, D Van Kaam; J Van Kaam, Larsen, Joosten


SM words green background

We say: AZ 1-1 Groningen

Currently there is not much to separate the two sides, with both Eredivisie clubs on equal points as they head into this weekend's fixture. Although AZ have the better head to head record, their injury troubles along with their heavy schedule means that Groningen should be able to grab a point from this game.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a home win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home Win:data



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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a AZ win with a probability of 58.26%. A draw had a probability of 21.9% and a win for Groningen had a probability of 19.85%.

The most likely scoreline for an AZ win was 1-0 with a probability of 9.95%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (9.94%) and 2-0 (9.61%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (10.29%), while for a Groningen win it was 0-1 (5.33%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 5.3% likelihood.


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Game History

How you voted: AZ vs Groningen

AZ
58.1%
Draw
32.3%
Groningen
9.7%
31
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1PSV EindhovenPSV1110013792830
2Ajax108112391425
3FC UtrechtUtrecht108111911825
4Feyenoord1164124121222
5FC Twente116322291321
6AZ AlkmaarAZ1152422121017
7Fortuna SittardSittard115241213-117
8Go Ahead Eagles114341519-415
9NAC BredaNAC Breda115061218-615
10NECNijmegen114161610613
11Willem II113351111012
12Heracles113351222-1012
13Sparta RotterdamSparta112541217-511
14Heerenveen113261223-1111
15Groningen112361119-89
16PEC Zwolle112361121-109
17Almere CityAlmere City11137523-186
18RKC WaalwijkRKC Waalwijk111191028-184


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