Preview:Sparta Rotterdam vs AZ Alkmaar - prediction, team news, lineups

An opportunity to claim a third consecutive Eredivisie victory this season awaits Sparta Rotterdam when they welcome AZ Alkmaar to the Sparta Stadion on Sunday.

The home team picked up seven points in their last three league outings, while the visitors have earned two more in the same number of matches.

Match preview

After a torrid September, when they were only able to claim three points from a possible nine, Sparta Rotterdam are now experiencing an upsurge in form, with three wins and a draw across all competitions.

At the start of October, the Castle Lords were on the verge of a famous win over Ajax Amsterdam, but a 97th-minute effort courtesy of Oscar Gloukh ensured that the match ended in a 3–3 draw.

Since then, Maurice Steijn's men have won back-to-back games against Groningen (2–0) and Telstar (1–0), scoring three goals without conceding any in those fixtures.

Consequently, the hosts are now sixth in the standings with 16 points after 10 rounds of matches in the Dutch top division.

Their new form is further highlighted by their commanding 5–2 victory over Groningen in their first-round KNVB Cup fixture during the week.

A triumph against AZ on Sunday will mark three consecutive wins in the Dutch top division for the first time since April 2025, when they defeated Fortuna Sittard (3–0), Nijmegen (2–0), and Heerenveen (3–1).

Similar to Sparta, AZ Alkmaar did not have the best of results in September, winning only one of their four league fixtures, with the other outcomes being a draw and two defeats.

The below-par performances of Maarten Martens's team extended to the start of October, when they suffered a 1–0 loss to AEK Larnaca in their opening Conference League fixture of the campaign.

Nevertheless, they have managed to turn things around, having recorded one win in Europe and three consecutive victories in the league, a run which includes a 2–0 success over Ajax that condemned the former champions to their first defeat of the season.

Another factor that is going for the visitors is their knack for finding the back of the net, as exemplified by the haul of eight goals in their last three league fixtures, and a record of 23 strikes overall bodes well for them.

A victory on Sunday will make it four wins in a row for the visitors, but they have to be wary of Sparta, considering that they suffered a 2–1 loss in the reverse fixture in January.

Sparta Rotterdam Eredivisie form:

Sparta Rotterdam form (all competitions):

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

Team News

Not much has changed in terms of the injury situation for the home side, meaning we are likely to see a starting XI similar to the team that started against Telstar.

Japanese Shunsuke Mito is still in recovery mode from a knee injury, which has kept him on the sidelines for 10 matches.

Similarly, Joshua Kitolano is also not expected to play any role in Sunday's contest, as he is suffering from an undisclosed injury.

The visitors, on the other hand, have a longer list of injured players, but their squad depth will come in handy on Sunday.

Japanese Seiya Maikuma is a long-term injury absentee, but Denzo Kasius is fit and available to continue in the right-back role.

Peer Koopmeiners is doubtful for this fixture, and if he is not certified fit to feature, Jordy Clasie is waiting on the wings to step up to the challenge.

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:

Drommel; Quintero, Martins Indi, Young, Sambo; Clement, Baas; Oufkir, Duijvestijr, Van Bergen; Lauritsen

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Owusu; De Wit, Penetra, Goes, Kasius; Smit, Mijnans, Clasie; Jense, Parrott, Patati