AZ Alkmaar vs. Jablonec: Preview and betting tips

Jablonec had a great start to the Conference Europa League. But now they have a tougher task ahead of them. AZ Alkmaar will be the clear favourite. How will the match play out and what chances do the North Czechs have?

Although AZ Alkmaar’s historical achievements cannot compare with Ajax, Feyenoord or PSV Eindhoven, it is still a traditional and quality Dutch club.

The match against Celtic Glasgow is a great example of how equal both teams are. Jablonec lost twice (2::4, 0::4) to the Scottish big club in the Europa League qualifiers, while Alkmaar lost once (2::0) and won once (2::1).

The quality of Alkmaar should exceed that of Jablonec. The proof is the value of both squads, as according to Transfermarkt the Dutch team is worth 72 million euros, while the Czech team is just under 10 million.

But let’s move on to football. If Jablonec is ever going to have an opportunity to score against Alkmaar, it’s now. AZ are not having an ideal season, winning one of their last five games, losing three and drawing one. But that is probably the only positive for Petr Rada’s charges, as the rest is playing against them.

What is not good news for the North Bohemians is the fact that the Dutch club hasn’t lost 13 cup matches on home soil (6-7-0). In addition, six matches against Czech teams in Alkmaar have ended in home defeats (3-3-0).

In addition, Jablonec has not been very successful against Dutch clubs in recent matches (0-2-2). In three of these four matches, Jablonec has failed to score a goal, with all of these matches resulting in less than 2.5 goals.

Alkmaar should have the upper hand in terms of quality, tactics and style of play.