Europa League: This is Spurs’ Last Chance for Silverware

Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ Alkmaar

Tottenham are in danger of getting eliminated earlier than expected in the Europa League after losing the first leg against AZ Alkmaar at AFAS Stadion last week. Ange Postecoglou’s men must overturn their one-goal deficit in the return leg at North London this Thursday if they will keep any hopes of ending their long silverware drought alive.

The Spurs are coming off a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League last Sunday. On the other hand, the Cheese Farmers had a full week preparing for the second leg because their league fixture against RKC Waalwijk was postponed.

AZ Alkmaar will aim to make history by completing the upset against Tottenham, but the pregame SBOTOP betting odds are not in their favour. Nonetheless, the second leg should entertain football fans because of the high stakes. Continue reading below for a preview of this match.

 

Talking Points

Tottenham might miss talismanic forward

Tottenham will likely miss the services of Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison in the return leg this Thursday due to fitness concerns, especially since they were absent against Bournemouth last weekend. Their absences are a blow for the Spurs since Kulusevski has contributed to 20 goals across all competitions this season, and Richarlison scored the only goal when they beat AZ Alkmaar in the league phase.

Heung-Min Son came off the bench and scored the late equaliser against the Cherries, so he is expected to start. The Spurs captain will likely link up with Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke in the final third, with James Maddison as the No. 10.

Rodrigo Bentancur will not play since he must serve his one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards. Archie Gray or Lucas Bergvall might replace Bentancur in the middle of the park. Ange Postecoglou could start Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven at centre-half for the first time in a long while since the two centre-backs are 100-per cent fit and Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are injured.

 

AZ Alkmaar must overcome road woes

AZ Alkmaar have not won any of their last 10 away games on the continent, and they will equal their worst-ever streak if they fail to win in North London this Thursday. However, Maarten Martens’ men are in fine form, as they’ve won seven of their nine matches across all competitions since losing to Ferencvaros on matchday eight of the league phase.

The Cheese Farmers will have to fight through injuries, as Mayckel Lahdo, Denso Kasius, Ruben van Bommel, Sven Mijnans, Jayden Addai, and Mexx Meerdink are ruled out against the Spurs due to injuries.

Ex-Tottenham Troy Parrott is doing well with AZ Alkmaar, leading them with 12 league goals this season. The 23-year-old hopes to create Europa League 2025 highlights against his old club after failing to do so in their two previous encounters this season.

 

History

AZ Alkmaar defeated Tottenham at home last Thursday, as Lucas Bergvall scored an own goal in the 18^th minute and Maarten Martens’ side held on. It was the Cheese Farmers’ first win against English opposition since beating Newcastle United in the UEFA Cup in March 2007.

Despite the first-leg victory, the odds are stacked against AZ Alkmaar since they are winless in their last 10 European away matches (D2, L8) since a 2-1 win at Lazio in the Europa Conference League Round of 16 back in March 2023. They have also lost all nine of their European away matches in England, losing to eight different sides.

Tottenham have won four of their last five European home matches against Dutch teams, with their lone loss being a 1-0 result against Ajax in the Champions League last April 2019. The Spurs have also scored in each of their last 29 Europa League home games – the longest such run in tournament history.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Europa League 2025 odds back the hosts to win this game and tie. Tottenham are 1.42 favourites to win, whereas AZ Alkmaar are 5.50 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.15 in the 1X2 market.

The Spurs cannot afford another low-scoring game, so expect them to be aggressive in the final third. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for alternatives like Total Goals 2-3 at 2.09, Over 2.75 at 1.74, and even Over 3.00 at 2.00.

However, if you fancy the visitors to score another upset and advance to the next round, you may fancy the Correct Score of 1-0 in AZ Alkmaar’s favour – the result of the first leg – given its solid 19.00 offer.

   

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