Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

The Lions host the Greek team at Villa Park to go on top of the UEFA Europa Conference League

Aston Villa host AZ Alkmaar at Villa Park at the weekend in all to play for. The Lions have been in great form under Unai Emery but lately lost a game in the English Premier League. Nevertheless, they are a strong side with players of high calibre. They will look to win the match at their home and then go on top of Group E in the UEFA Conference League.

On the contrary, AZ Alkmaar has been doing fairly well lately. But after the loss to Aston Villa by 4-1, they have drawn the next match. Nevertheless, Alkmaar are a highly capable team that can beat any team on a good day. They will look to win this game and climb to the top of the table to make it into the next round of the competition.

Kick-Off

Friday, 10 November 2023 at 1:30 AM IST

Location: Villa Park

Form

Aston Villa (in all competitions): L-W-W-W-D

AZ Alkmaar (in all competitions): D-L-W-W-W

Players to Watch

Ollie Watkins – Aston Villa

English striker Ollie Watkins has a big impact on Aston Villa games. He is an important part of Villa's attacking setup and is well-known for his versatility, work ethic, and clinical finishing. Watkins has made a seamless transition to various attacking positions and has received praise for his goalscoring efforts many times. The fans have high expectations for him to win this game for Villa and take them to the top of the table in the Conference League.

Vangelis Pavlidis – AZ Alkmaar

The forward Vangelis Pavlidis is a vital player in AZ Alkmaar's team. He is a gifted Greek attacker with a knack for finding the net. Pavlidis is a main member of AZ's offensive line thanks to his quickness and technical skills, and he has demonstrated promise in both domestic and European competitions. He is the one to look out for.

Match Facts for Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar

• Aston Villa has two wins and one loss from their 3 games, while AZ Alkmaar has one win and two losses. The result has caused Aston Villa to sit at top of the table, while Alkmaar sits at the bottom of the UEFA Conference League table.
• Villa has scored 16 goals in their last five games, including four goals from five shots. Emery's team had not lost in any of those games just before the previous game.
• Aston Villa will host Alkmaar for the first time in club history at the Villa Park.

Injury & Team News

The goalkeeper for AZ Alkmaar Sem Westerveld has been out since July 23, 2023, due to a meniscus injury. Although the precise return date is still unknown, this is a crucial absence for the team. The team's defensive depth is further compromised by the foot injury sustained by left-back Mees de Wit. Aston Villa is also faced with challenges, as both right-winger Emiliano Buendía and centre-back Tyrone Mings have torn cruciate ligaments. Villa is further afflicted by injuries as left-back Álex Moreno has a hamstring injury.

Head to Head

Total Matches – 1

Aston Villa wins – 1

AZ Alkmaar wins – 0

Draws – 0

Predicted Lineup

Aston Villa predicted lineup (4-4-2) :

Martinez (GK); Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Zaniolo; Diaby, Watkins

AZ Alkmaar predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Ryan (GK); Sugawara, Bazoer, Penetra, Wolfe; Mijnans, Clasie; Dantas, Dani de Wit, van Brederode; Pavlidis

Match Prediction for Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar

The Aston Villa vs Alkmaar match is expected to be an important one for both of the teams, especially Alkmaar. While Aston Villa are second in the group, Alkmaar sits at the bottom of the UEFA Conference League table. Aston Villa is playing at home and it is expected that they will win this game much easily given their performance in the reverse fixture. It will be good to see how the Alkmaar team's staff plan against Aston Villa strikers as they are in red-hot form.

Prediction: Aston Villa 3 - 1 AZ Alkmaar 

Telecast for Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar 

India – Sony LIV, Sony Sports Network

UK – TNT Sports

US – CBS Sports

Nigeria – Supersport