Our prediction for this Netherlands Eredivisie match:
AZ
Match Time & Date:
10/02/2023
20:00
Prediction: 4-1
Excelsior
AZ Alkmaar play host to Excelsior at their AFAS Stadion in what is expected to be an interesting Eredivisie game. AZ want to stay in the title race, and they are likely to go all guns blazing at the relegation-threatened team. Pascal Jansen’s men suffered elimination in the KNVB Beker last 16 on Tuesday evening, meaning that they will be fully focused on the national championship in the season finale.
Bruno Martins Indi is a major doubt, while all Maxim Dekker, Zinho Vanheusden, Riechedly Bazoer, Sam Beukema, and Sem Westerveld remain in the recovery room. Excelsior, on the other hand, are not regarded as good travellers, and given their five-match losing run on the road, anything but a routine home win would be a major surprise. There are no fresh injury worries in the away team ahead of the trip to Alkmaar.
Highlighted Player (Jordy Clasie):
Jordy Clasie is a product of the Feyenoord youth academy who plays for AZ Alkmaar as a midfielder. His main position is defensive midfield, but he is capable of producing fine displays as both central midfielder and centre-back as well.
Clasie played for the likes of Feyenoord, Excelsior (loan), Southampton, and Club Brugge (loan) before returning to Rotterdam. After ending his second spell with Feyenoord, the Dutch footballer joined AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2019. He made his AZ debut in the Eredivisie on August 4, 2019 in a 4-0 win over Fortuna Sittard.
Jordie Clasie has 12 caps with the Netherlands U21 team, and he made his senior debut in a 1-1 draw with Italy on February 6, 2013. Thanks to his elegant style of play, Clasie has earned the nickname of “Dutch Xavi”. The AZ Alkmaar midfielder was born in Haarlem, Netherlands on June 27, 1991.
Highlighted Team (AZ):
AZ Alkmaar are a professional football club that play their home matches at AFAS Stadion. The venue was opened on 4 August, 2006 and the construction of the stadium cost €38 million. AFAS Stadion is able to hold 17 023 spectators.
The Cheeseheads were founded on 10 May, 1967 and they won their first trophy in 1981, finishing the season 12 points clear of Dutch giants Ajax. 18 years later AZ clinched their second Eredivisie trophy, with the team finishing the 2008/2009 campaign with 80 points, 11 clear of second-placed Twente. In 1981 the club made it to the UEFA Cup final, but English side Ipswich Town proved to be a big catch for the Dutch team.
AZ’s home kits are red and white and they wear black shirts when playing on the road. The likes of Shota Arveladze, Jozy Altidore, Ron Vlaar, Joris Mathijsen, Graziano Pelle, Simon Poulsen, Moussa Dembele and Sergio Romero are notable footballers who played for AZ in the past.
Arsenal 
Ipswich 
Brighton
Brentford 
Lazio 
Atalanta 
Leicester 
Man City 
Tottenham 
Wolves 
Juventus 
Fiorentina 
