AZ Alkmaar welcome Elfsborg to the Netherlands on the opening matchday of the Europa League on Wednesday. The hosts have made a superb start to the season, while the Swedish visitors are coming to the end of their domestic campaign with plenty still to play for.
AZ took advantage of an uncharacteristically woeful season by Ajax last year to finish in the top four once again. Despite missing out on third place, which would have earned them a Champions League qualifying spot, to Twente, AZ's league finish still ensured direct passage into the league phase of the Europa League.
Not playing any summer qualifiers has allowed manager Maarten Martens to focus solely on league matters in the opening six weeks of the season, and his side have taken full advantage. Only a 100% start from PSV Eindhoven is stopping AZ from topping the Eredivisie table after six matches, as a 0-0 draw at Groningen are the only points they have dropped so far.
After two opening 1-0 wins, AZ have certainly let their hair down in recent weeks, as they returned from the recent international break by thrashing Heerenveen 9-1 here. However, it was a much closer encounter against Zwolle at the weekend that saw them prepare for this European opener, winning 2-1 on the road to maintain that impressive start.
The 1981 finalists are back in this competition for the first time since 2020, when they were eliminated in the group stage, contributing to a run of just two wins in their last 10 Europa League outings. This competition also saw them suffer their most embarrassing European defeat in their history, when they were beaten 11-2 on aggregate by Lyon in the last 16 back in 2017, losing 7-1 in the second leg.
Playing in the Conference League over the past three seasons has provided more success, as the club reached the semi-finals in 2022-23, but they were knocked out in the groups last season.
AZ's opening game this time around pits them against Elfsborg for the first time, and the Dutch side have a good record against Swedish clubs, only losing once in six previous matches.
The visitors will take to the field in a European competition proper for the first time in 11 years in this one, as Elfsborg are back in continental action after a Europa League group stage exit in 2013-14. On that occasion, Elfsborg took just one point from their opening five games and were eliminated, and their draw this time around suggests they could find it difficult once again.
According to UEFA's coefficient rankings, Elfsborg have been handed the toughest draw of all 36 clubs in the Europa League, facing Roma and Tottenham Hotspur from pot one, Galatasaray from pot three, and a devilishly difficult duo of Nice and Athletic Bilbao from pot four.
Manager Oscar Hiljemark, who spent two years playing in Holland with PSV, will hope his side can transfer their domestic form onto the continent, as they have lost just once in their last 19 games. After a poor start to their season, which runs from spring through to autumn, Elfsborg have recovered excellently and are in with a shout of qualifying for Europe again.
A dull 0-0 draw with Hammarby at the weekend has kept them in contention with six games to go, as they sit just three points off the top three having been nowhere at the midway point of the campaign. European distractions could be costly for their domestic aims though, should Hiljemark throw everything at them reaching the knockout stage.
AZ's Form and Key Players
AZ have a few injury concerns heading into this clash, with Bruno Martins Indi (hamstring) and Mees de Wit (foot) unlikely to recover in time to feature here, while young goalkeeper Sem Westerveld is also out. Former Tottenham forward Troy Parrott is set to make his European debut after coming in to replace Benfica-bound Vangelis Pavlidis over the summer.
All four of Parrott's goals for the club so far came in their 9-1 annihilation of Heerenveen, so he will be out to prove that was not a one off. AZ Alkmaar, commonly referred to as AZ, secured a fourth-place finish in the Eredivisie this summer. The "Red-Whites," under the management of Maarten Martens, who was appointed in January 2024, quickly established a strong playing style.
The departure of Vangelis Pavlidis and Yukinari Sugawara was a tough blow, but newcomer Troy Parrott has seamlessly filled the gap, netting four goals in the Eredivisie and making their exits less of a concern. AZ Alkmaar has made an impressive start to the Eredivisie, collecting 16 points from a possible 18, and currently sits just behind PSV Eindhoven in the standings. The "Red-Whites" are eager to replicate their strong domestic form on the European stage.
Elfsborg's Road to the Europa League
Elfsborg will be able to recall Ibrahim Buhari to their defence after he served a domestic ban over the weekend, but Jens Thomasen will remain out with the injury he picked up against Brommapojkarna at the start of the month. Arber Zeneli rejoined his boyhood club earlier this year, contributing to 13 goals from out wide so far, and the Kosovan international should play just ahead of his younger brother Besfort Zeneli. The man to watch for the visitors is striker Michael Baidoo, whose six goal involvements in Europa League qualifying was only bettered by one other player.
Based in the southern Swedish town of Borås, Elfsborg was founded in 1904 and has won the national championship six times, with their last title coming in 2012. They also have three cup victories, the latest in 2014. The "Yellow" secured a second-place finish in the previous season, which concluded last autumn. Currently, they sit in sixth place in Allsvenskan. Under the management of Oscar Hiljemark, who joined Elfsborg in early June, the team successfully advanced through all their opponents in the Europa League qualification, including Paphos, Sheriff, Rijeka, and Molde.
The Verdict
AZ have made a brilliant start to the season, and should have enough to overcome one of the lowest-ranked sides in this season's competition. On their return to the European stage after over a decade away, it will be a baptism of fire for Elfsborg with numerous tricky fixtures, including this one against one of the most in-form sides in Holland at present. It would be unwise to underestimate Elfsborg, who have come a long way in the qualification stages, but AZ appears to be the stronger side at the moment, especially playing at home. Therefore, I suggest betting on an AZ victory with a total of over 2.5 goals.
The Probable Starting Lineups
AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Clasie, Koopmeiners, Mijnans; Sadiq, Parrott, Van Bommel
Elfsborg possible starting lineup:
Pettersson; Holmen, Buhari, Yegbe; Hedlund, B Zeneli, Ouma, Hult; A Zeneli, Baidoo, Qasem
Beyond the Pitch
AZ and Elfsborg's match is just one of many exciting clashes in the Europa League this week. The competition is always full of surprises, and this season looks to be no different. With so many talented teams vying for glory, fans are in for a treat.
As the group stage gets underway, it will be interesting to see which teams emerge as contenders for the title. With so many top teams participating, the Europa League is sure to provide plenty of drama and excitement in the months to come.
