Sabasports Match Preview
Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ Alkmaar
Kickoff Time: 2025-03-14 04:00(HKT)
Source:REUTERS/John Sibley
Last weekend, Tottenham Hotspur played against Bournemouth at home in the league, and despite being two goals down, the team fought back to equalize the score, ending the match in a 2-2 draw. With the return of key players like Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, and Micky van de Ven, their presence on the pitch has significantly improved the team’s performance. In the Europa League, although Tottenham lost the first leg away to AZ Alkmaar 0-1, the team maintained control of the game throughout. Additionally, Tottenham held an advantage in several key statistics. Furthermore, Tottenham has yet to lose a home game in European competitions this season, having achieved an impressive record of three wins and one draw in their previous four home matches. This clearly shows that home advantage has provided significant support to Tottenham.
AZ Alkmaar did not have a league match last weekend, which allowed the team ample time to rest and recover physically. Alkmaar’s tactical approach leans towards ball possession and positional play, primarily relying on their quick and fluid passing game along with effective wing play to break through their opponents’ defenses. In the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16, Alkmaar secured a 1-0 victory at home. Looking back at the match, while Alkmaar successfully capitalized on a gap in Tottenham’s defense to score, they did not manage to maintain control of the ball for the majority of the game, spending most of the time in a passive position. Moreover, Alkmaar has struggled in away European matches this season, with a disappointing record of two draws and three losses in their last five away games.
Although Alkmaar gained an advantage in the first leg, their overall strength is clearly inferior to that of Tottenham. Additionally, Tottenham has shown strong performances at home in European competitions this season, while Alkmaar has been weak away. Taking all of this into account, it seems reasonable to expect Tottenham, with the benefit of home advantage, to come back and win this match.
Tottenham Hotspur’s Last 5 Games: DLLWW
25-03-09 Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Bournemouth
25-03-07 AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
25-02-27 Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Manchester City
25-02-22 Ipswich Town 1-4 Tottenham Hotspur
25-02-17 Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester United
AZ Alkmaar’s Last 5 Games: WLDWD
25-03-07 AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
25-03-02 SC Heerenveen 3-1 AZ Alkmaar
25-02-28 Heracles 2-2 AZ Alkmaar (PEN 3-4)
25-02-23 AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Fortuna Sittard
25-02-21 Galatasaray 2-2 AZ Alkmaar
Head To Head Record:
25-03-07 AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
24-10-25 Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 AZ Alkmaar
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur to win