- AZ Alkmaar have won one and drawn one of their last two home matches.
- Hapoel Beer-Sheva have won their last two consecutive matches.
- The game will be a tactical battle between two teams that play very different styles, but both should have moments of superiority in the game.
Cheese Farmers are on the ropes
AZ Alkmaar sit in 25th place in the UEFA Europa League 2026/2027 with 0 points after 1 match, whilst Hapoel Beer-Sheva are 17th with 1 point after 1 match.
Alkmaar are in poor form, having been beaten 1-0 at Sunderland, in the UEFA Europa League, before edging Telstar 1-0 at home in Eredivisie, and losing 2-0 away to Feyenoord in Eredivisie.
Hapoel come into this in better form, having held GNK Dinamo Zagreb to a 0-0 draw in the UEFA Europa League before beating Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona 1-0 in Ligat Ha'AL and then Ironi Tiberias 2-0 away from home in Ligat Ha'AL.
De Kaasboeren need a boost
AZ have had a poor start to their UEFA Europa League 2026/2027 campaign, and if they are to get back on track, they must beat the Camel in the Netherlands on Thursday.
Leeroy Echteld's men play a very structured, possession based football, they are patient and have a keen eye for the overloads in wide areas. Echteld has maintained this style since taking over on the 19th January 2026.
Hapoel are more direct, Ran Kozuch's 4-3-3 blueprint is intense and the Camel have played with an attacking edge since the 1st July 2024 when Kozuch was appointed.
We feel that AZ should have enough to edge this one at home, however, the nature of this fixture should see both teams getting chances and with this in mind, we feel that this fixture will likely see Over 2.5 goals and Both Teams to Score.
Meerdink's 2 goals in the last 5 games makes
him the most likely of AZ's squad to find the net, whilst Ganah has 2 of the last
6 for Hapoel.
