AZ AlkmaarPositive35%
Alkmaar possesses a strong and decisive attacking ability, demonstrated by scoring 20 goals in 11 recent matches and maintaining an average of 3 goals per game.
The team has the ability to deliver explosive performances, demonstrated by the convincing 4-0 victory against Ararat-Armenia FC and the 2-3 win against Heerenveen.
The stability of the squad is a standout strength, with key players such as Lewis Schouten, Mateo Chávez, Peer Koopmeiners, Ro Zangelo Daal, and Mexx Meerdink all demonstrating commitment and high performance across multiple matches.
Alkmaar has maintained defensive resilience when needed, recording three clean sheets in their last 11 matches.
Tactically, Alkmaar has built high consistency by primarily operating with the 4-2-3-1 formation, helping the team become accustomed to its core playing system.
Neutral30%
Overall, Alkmaar has established a strong standing in the tournament with 20 points after 11 matches.
An average of 1.3 goals scored per game and 1.2 goals conceded per game indicate that Alkmaar's attacking and defensive abilities are balanced.
Alkmaar is a team that actively seeks attacking opportunities from the flanks, as demonstrated by the team averaging 5.8 corner kicks per match.
Alkmaar's matches tend to be open and high-scoring, with both the Both Teams To Score and Over 2.5 rates at 40%.
Alkmaar's midfield is spearheaded by Peer Koopmeiners, who is regarded as a source of stable energy, possessing both creativity and strong defensive involvement.
Negative35%
Alkmaar's overall form is showing worrying inconsistency, indicating that the team has not achieved sustained stability.
Alkmaar has faced clear difficulties when playing against major or equally matched opponents, with three consecutive defeats in highly competitive matches.
Alkmaar's defense revealed significant gaps in crucial matches, notably their loss to Ajax and conceding two goals to Feyenoord.
Alkmaar is seriously suffering from a lack of depth in its squad, especially in the forward and midfield areas, due to the absence of key players like Kees Smit and Jizz Hornkamp.
The decline in performance is noteworthy, as the average score over the last 8 matches has dropped significantly compared to the season average.
In terms of discipline, Alkmaar's accumulation of 19 yellow cards in 10 matches suggests that the team sometimes plays at an excessively high physical and tactical intensity, drawing the attention of the referee.
GroningenPositive35%
Groningen possesses an extremely stable core roster, featuring pillars like Thom Van Bergen, Tika de Jonge, and Thijmen Blokzijl who are consistently utilized with high performance.
Groningen's attacking strength is demonstrated by a very high average goals per game metric (4.55 goals), affirming its ability to create continuous opportunities and danger.
Players like Brynjólfur Darri Willumsson are a consistent source of points, complemented by the versatility of Thom Van Bergen, who not only scores goals but also provides assists.
Groningen tends to participate in high-scoring matches, with 80% of games having three or more goals, demonstrating a strong attacking capability and continuous chance creation.
Neutral30%
Groningen operates with a fairly fixed tactical system, mainly maintaining the 4-2-3-1 formation in most recent matches, which shows tactical consistency.
Statistically speaking, Groningen is capable of creating many attacking opportunities, evidenced by the team averaging 5.0 corners per match, which demonstrates an ability to exploit set pieces.
Although the goal difference is only modest (+2), this metric reflects the complexity between strong offensive capabilities and defensive instability.
Groningen's average points per game (PPG) of 1.36 over 11 matches indicates that the team still maintains a certain level of competitiveness in the league.
Negative35%
Groningen's critical weakness is its defense, which, with an average conceded goals rate of 2.4 goals per game, demonstrates clear instability and vulnerability.
Groningen is facing a depth of personnel crisis due to the absence of two important defenders, Tyrique Mercera and Malcolm Jeng, which greatly affects the flexibility of the backline.
Groningen's recent form is noticeably declining, evidenced by a run of poor results and a PPG index of 1.13 over the last 8 matches, which is lower than the season average.
Keeping clean sheets in very few matches (9.09%) indicates that Groningen has serious difficulties maintaining defensive solidity and consistent defense.
Injured
Doubtful
Suspended
National duty
Other
Alkmaar will reaffirm its superior position. Despite some instability, their attacking strength and class will help them subdue Groningen with a decisive victory, re-establishing the order.
Prediction for the match between AZ Alkmaar and Groningen is 2-0.
Expert Prediction:
Alkmaar-1.00 @1.86
































