Preview: AZ Alkmaar vs. Jagiellonia Bialystok - prediction, team news, lineups

AZ Alkmaar and Jagiellonia Bialystok face off on Thursday in the final matchday of the league phase in the Conference League, with everything to play for at AZ Stadion.

The compactness of the table means that neither AZ nor Jagiellonia — positioned 13th and 18th — is guaranteed a playoff spot; however, both clubs have every reason to aim higher, considering that a win could propel the victor into the coveted top eight, securing a round-of-16 place.

Match preview

Having had their Eredivisie match with SBV Excelsior rescheduled, AZ head into Thursday’s make-or-break matchday six contest with their Polish opponents well rested and healthy as they aim to claim another home victory in the competition.

The Alkmaar-based club last featured in last week’s 3-0 victory over Drita, taking them into 13th in the 36-team table ahead of this week’s fixture.

Notching a first away victory in the league phase this season after heavy defeats at AEK Larnaca (4-0) and Crystal Palace (3-0), a timely triumph against the Kosovo outfit was just what the doctor ordered.

With that success taking them into a seeded spot for the knockout playoffs in February, Maarten Martens’s team can aim higher, considering that they have secured nine points, one shy of a cluster of clubs from fourth to eighth on 10 points.

While the Dutch side are tied with four other clubs — Palace, Larnaca, Fiorentina and Celje — on nine points, the Cheese Farmers are looking to pounce on any mistakes by the teams above them.

Thus, securing maximum points on Thursday at least gives them a chance of finishing in the top eight, and there is undoubted reason for optimism too, given previous results in Alkmaar in the competition: beating Slovan Bratislava (1-0) and Shelbourne (2-0).

Aiming to end the Dutch team’s winning run at AZ Stadion in Europe, Jaga must continue their unbeaten run away from home in the competition, having held Strasbourg and Shkendija to 1-1 draws on their travels.

Both creditable draws were bookended by 1-0 wins against Hamrun Spartans and KuPS, putting Adrian Siemieniec’s team in a strong position heading into the penultimate round.

However, an ill-timed 2-1 defeat by Rayo Vallecano last week — the Polish club’s first in the league phase — leaves Jaga just outside the seeded positions for the playoffs.

Nonetheless, a maiden away victory this week could take them as high as third in the table, but they could easily end outside the top 24 if results elsewhere are unfavourable.

With 25th-placed KuPS and Zrinjski Mostar in 26th on six points and 27th-placed Breidablik on five, the Polish team on eight are still looking over their shoulders heading into the deciding matchday.

Still, such fatalism is unlikely to materialise, given that KuPS visit Palace, Zrinjski host Rapid Vienna and Breidablik travel to table-topping Strasbourg, albeit the French side have secured a top-eight spot.

AZ Alkmaar Conference League form:

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

Jagiellonia Bialystok Conference League form:

Jagiellonia Bialystok form (all competitions):

Team News

AZ suffered no apparent injury issues against Drita last week, leaving them without the sidelined Mexx Meerdink (groin), Seiya Maikuma (knee), Jordy Clasie (ankle) and Denso Kasius.

Sven Mijnans has scored three of AZ’s seven goals in the league phase, accounting for 42.9% of their goals, and the midfield man aims to be decisive against Jagiellonia.

Isak Jensen scored and set up one in the previous round’s success at Drita, bringing him to two goals and one assist, placing him joint top with Mijnans for direct contributions, and the wide attacker should make his third Conference League start for the Dutch giants.

While Afimico Pululu was withdrawn late on by Siemieniec at the weekend, the Jaga forward’s withdrawal seemed precautionary, and the DR Congo man should start on Thursday.

Jesus Imaz has scored twice in the league phase, including the match-winner against Hamrun on matchday one, but he has yet to find the net away from home in Europe.

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Owusu-Oduro; De Wit, Goes, Penetra, Garcia; Koopmeiners, Smit, Mijnans; Patati, Parrott, Jensen

Jagiellonia Bialystok possible starting lineup:

Abramowicz; Wojtuszek, Vital, Stojinovic, Wdowik; Romanczuk, Mazurek; Pozp, Imaz, Pietuszewski; Pululu

We say: AZ Alkmaar 2-0 Jagiellonia Bialystok

Despite Jagiellonia’s positive results on their travels in Europe, AZ are likely to have too much for the Polish club on Thursday.

The Dutch side have kept two continental clean sheets in Alkmaar, and a third should follow this week as they secure the points which could take them into the top eight.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.