AZ Alkmaar shall be hoping to continue their 11-match undefeated streak on Sunday when they travel to the Offermans Joosten Stadion in order to face Fortuna Sittard.
The hosts shall be looking for a response after suffering a heavy 5-0 loss to Ajax in their most recent outing, which left them sat in the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Fortuna Sittard have only managed to win three games in the Eredivisie so far this season, which explains why they are currently sat 19th in the table.
A big problem for them has been the sheer number of goals that they have conceded, having let in 46 across their opening 18 matches, which is more than any other team in the division.
This was highlighted during their most recent outing when Ajax secured a 5-0 victory, which brought an end to the two-game run without a loss that the Fortunezen had built up.
Sjors Ultee's men were able to earn a point prior to that match after twice fighting from behind to draw 2-2 with FC Utrecht due to goals from George Cox and Zian Flemming.
However, they now need more than a draw in order to get them out of the relegation zone, with a victory having the potential to draw them level on points with RKC Waalwijk, but their goal difference will likely stop them from getting out completely.
When the two teams met earlier this season, AZ Alkmaar earned the three points with a 2-1 victory, but they did have to fight from behind to do so, with goals from Vangelis Pavlidis and Jesper Karlsson.
Pascal Jansen's men are enjoying a fantastic run of form right now after 11 matches in a row without a defeat, which is something they will have the confidence of continuing on Sunday.
The squad have kept three clean sheets across their six most recent outings, while scoring 13 goals as they have showcased their quality across the pitch.
Despite that, they are sat outside of the European places at the moment, which is something that Jansen will be hoping to change in the near future.
There are seven points separating them from that at the moment, therefore the need for continuing their momentum and picking up points is clear.
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Team News
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Lisandro Semedo could be an option for the hosts after his return from injury, and there might be some major changes following the recent 5-0 defeat.
Flemming will likely continue leading the line for Fortuna Sittard, while using five at the back is a tactic that could take place as the squad looks to tighten things up defensively.
At the moment, the visitors only have Jeremy Helmer to worry about in regards to injuries, which allows Jansen an almost fully fit squad to choose from.
With Karlsson in fine form at the moment, he should continue to be involved as an attacking option, while, Peter Vindahl Jensen will be hoping for his third consecutive clean sheet.
Fortuna Sittard possible starting lineup:
Van Osch; Tipran, Angha, Samaris, Janssen, Gox; Rienstra, Duarte, Ferati; Flemming, Seuntjens
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Jensen; Witry, Hatzidiakos, Indi, Wijndal; Clasie, De Wit, Reijnders; Sugawara, Karlsson, Gudmundsson
We say: Fortuna Sittard 0-4 AZ Alkmaar
It is hard to see past anything other than an AZ Alkmaar victory in this particular match, with the squad being far stronger and the club having a lot more momentum.
Fortuna Sittard might have the home advantage here, but the number of goals they are leaking in throughout the season will continue to plague them here.
Top tip
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 Alkmaar win with a probability of 52.86%. A draw had a probability of 23.8% and a win for Fortuna Sittard had a probability of 23.35%.
The most likely scoreline for an AZ Alkmaar win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.59%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.73%) and 0-2 (9.14%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.27%), while for a Fortuna Sittard win it was 1-0 (6.53%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 9.7% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole and our data analysis both correctly predicted that AZ Alkmaar would win this match.
