AZ vs Noah – News and Probable Lineups

After last week’s loss in Abovyan, AZ Alkmaar are set to host FC Noah at the AZ Stadion this Thursday, seeking to avoid elimination from the Conference League during the knockout playoff round.

The Eredivisie side are considered favorites to reverse the 1-0 disadvantage at home, yet they will remain cautious against opponents eager to achieve their first advancement to the last 16 of a European tournament, having already made history by reaching this stage.

Match overview

Following a sluggish start in the continent’s third-tier club competition, where they lost two of their initial three matches, AZ rebounded by maintaining three consecutive clean sheets and securing seven points from a potential nine, finishing 14th among the seeded teams in the playoffs.

This strong finish to the league stage indicated that the Cheese Farmers were grasping the nuances of the competition, leading to expectations for a close victory during last week’s match in Armênia.

However, Leeroy Echteld’s squad struggled to find solutions despite controlling 70% of possession in Abovyan and generating several good scoring opportunities in the second half, after a disappointing performance in the first half.

After responding with a 3-1 win against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday, extending their unbeaten run in the Eredivisie to three and their domestic unbeaten streak to four, a similar result on Thursday would advance the Alkmaar giants to the round of 16.

Nonetheless, Echteld’s team’s inability to keep clean sheets will concern the Cheese Farmers’ head coach, as his squad has not had a shutout in their last six matches across all competitions, managing just two in their past 10 games.

This perceived vulnerability will likely please the traveling supporters heading to Alkmaar this week, as the Armenian club aims to become the first from its country to progress to the last 16 in any European club competition.

Under coach Sandro Perkovic, FC Noah has already made history as the first team from the nation to reach the current intermediate stage in the competition, and they could achieve an even greater feat by securing a favorable result in Alkmaar.

Hovhannes Hambardzumyan’s 53rd-minute goal has put the Armenian champions in this advantageous position, and they managed to hold on despite being inactive competitively since December.

Their last outing was a 2-0 loss ‘away’ to Dynamo Kyiv a week prior to Christmas, played in Poland, with preparation matches leading up to facing AZ yielding mixed results, as Perkovic’s side suffered two defeats and drew the same number following a 1-0 win over Lech on January 24.

However, supported by their fans, the defending Armenian champions produced a solid defensive display to surprise their Dutch counterparts and secure a slight lead.

Knowing that a draw will be sufficient in Alkmaar, Noah — previously unbeaten in three overall away Conference League matches, including qualifiers, until their loss to Kyiv — will look for another positive outcome on Thursday to further cement their place in Armenian football history.

Team News

Wouter Goes, who was substituted after 33 minutes against Sparta last weekend, was already unavailable for Thursday’s selection due to his yellow card in the previous defeat.

The young defender’s absence adds to AZ’s few injury concerns, with Jordy Clasie (ankle), Denso Kasius (ankle), Seiya Maikuma, and Weslley Patati all expected to miss out.

Though Troy Parrott netted seven times during the qualification phase for the Conference League, he has yet to score in the proper competition, and the Cheese Farmers’ 13-goal striker in the Eredivisie hopes to play a decisive role this week.

Noah’s progress has largely been credited to Nardin Mulahusejnovic, whose five goals during the league phase still represent a competition high, although veteran Hambardzumyan shone in the first leg a week ago.

With Gustavo Sangare and Nathanael Saintini both questionable due to injuries sustained in the first leg, Noah’s squad depth may be tested in Alkmaar.

AZ Alkmaar probable starting XI:

Sweet; Dijkstra, Penetra, De Wit, Chavez; Boogaard, Koopmeiners, Smit; Jensen, Parrott, Daal

FC Noah probable starting XI:

Plushchadnyi; Hambardzumyan, Muradyan, Silva, Zolotic, Sualehe; Ferreira, Eteki, Oshima, Jakolis; Mulahusejnovic

Noah are likely to defend deep and aim to frustrate their hosts, potentially capitalizing on counter-attacks to secure a crucial away goal that keeps the tie finely balanced.

However, the Cheese Farmers’ current momentum should enable them to eventually overwhelm their opponents, with Parrott expected to deliver a significant performance in the competition proper after several lackluster displays.