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AZ Alkmaar welcome NEC Nijmegen to AFAS Stadion for an Eredivisie round two fixture on Saturday (August 17th). The hosts kick-started their campaign with a 1-0 away victory over Almere City last weekend.
They took an early lead through Ibrahim Sadiq's fourth minute strike while Maxim Dekker and Baptiste Guillaume were shown first half red cards for both sides. Almere ended the game with nine men following Ricardo Visus' 79th-minute dismissal.
Nijmegen, meanwhile, suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Twente. They went behind to Sam Lammers' eighth-minute strike while Kodai Sano equalized in the 28th minute. Alec Van Hoorenbeeck scored the match-winner in the 54th minute.
The loss left them in 12th spot in the table on zero points while AZ are sixth on three points.
AZ Alkmaar vs NEC Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- AZ Alkmaar have 34 wins from the last 85 head-to-head games. NEC Nijmegen were victorious on 24 occasions while 27 games were drawn.
- Their most recent clash came in April 2024 when AZ claimed a 3-0 away victory.
- Four of the last five head-to-head games have produced three goals or more.
- Nijmegen's last six league games have produced three goals or more, with four games in this sequence witnessing goals at both ends.
- AZ are unbeaten in their last six league games (five wins).
- The home side on the day has not won any of the last six head-to-head games (four losses).
AZ Alkmaar vs NEC Prediction
AZ Alkmaar showed grit and determination to claim maximum points in a feisty opening game at Almere City last weekend. De Kaasboeren saw a red card issued in their final game of last season and also saw three red cards brandished in their opening game of the new campaign.
Nijmegen are unbeaten on their last three visits to this stadium, winning on their most recent visit here. Nevertheless, they are still underdogs.
Alkmaar are the strong favorites in this game but the home side on the day's poor record in this fixture in recent years could be cause for concern. However, they should still have too much firepower for their visitors. We are backing Maarten Martens' side to claim a comfortable win with goals at both ends.
Prediction: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 NEC
AZ Alkmaar vs NEC Betting Tips
Tip 1 - AZ Alkmaar to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - AZ to score over 1.5 goals
