This promises to be an action-packed encounter for AZ at AFAS Stadion when the Europa Conference League tournament arrives in town and CFR Cluj with it. Read all about the Group Stage match here!
We should expect both teams to be fresh and ready for this match, as there is some time since both teams last played. Let's have a look at how the teams are doing!
It's time to recharge all electronic entertainment devices for CFR Cluj, who are travelling more than 1900 kilometers to play this game.
AZ form and stats
AZ have collected 9 points from their Eredivisie home games so far after 3-0-1. On the other hand, in the Europa Conference League, AZ has performed like this (both home and away): 2 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses. There’s a good atmosphere here at AFAS Stadion after three straight home wins.
AZ's last game was hosting PEC Zwolle and winning 3-2. An impressive turnaround for AZ in the match against PEC Zwolle as a 0-2 deficit was completely turned around to a 3-2 win. Vangelis Pavlidis scored the final goal. The talented striker Vangelis Pavlidis bested all teammates in that match and received a match rating of 8.52 out of 10. Pavlidis scored two goals and hit one key pass.
Heartbreak before that as AZ lost 0-2 at FC Groningen's place.The home team are expected to win this game about three out of four times, according to the bookmaker odds. When checking the database for AZ home games with this odds we find seven games with a similar winning chance. Resulting in four wins, one draw and two defeats. Looking at the victories, three matches were won by at least two goals.
AZ are traveling soon after this match as the Eredivisie match at Feyenoord awaits in three days.
With more than three goals on average, the attacking play of AZ is on fire here. A stunning 13 from 4 league matches. With more than 1,5 conceded goals on average, the AZ defense is not exactly impregnable. 6 goals conceded from 4 games. You can find more goal stats on the Statistics tab above.
CFR Cluj form and stats
The away team have been very comfortable on their travels so far, racking up 4 wins, 0 draws and only 2 losses in the Liga 1. When we have look at the Europa Conference League statistics, we find 0W-1D-2L. This is both home and away.
The Cluj goalkeeper Cristian Emanuel Balgradean is collecting clean sheets like a laundry worker. It's been 215 league minutes without conceding a goal, and counting.
The supporters enjoyed CFR Cluj's previous game versus Voluntari, a Liga 1 1-0 win played at home.
Before that, Cluj secured a home win against Sepsi with the score 2-0.We have done a similar check as we did with the hometeam, looking up recent matches where Cluj played away with similar odds. This revealed three games. The visitors overcame the odds to win zero times, one were draw and the home team won as expected two times.
There might be some complaints about the fixture list from the Cluj manager D. Petrescu as the team has another away game coming up in only three days, this time against Dinamo Bucuresti.
The attacking power of CFR Cluj when travelling is not overwhelming with 5 goals scored from 6 league matches away. Cluj are defending well in their away games, having conceded only 4 times in 6 matches. For more goal statistics, check out the Statistics tab above.
Head 2 Head
This was the final score when the squads played each other earlier this campaign; CFR Cluj - AZ 0-1.Top Goalscorers
  D. de Wit 6 goals |  J. Karlsson 4 goals |  V. Pavlidis 4 goals |
AZ missing players
CFR Cluj missing players
| AZ | CFR Cluj | ||||||
| Total | Home | Statistics | Stat | Away | Total | ||
| 25 | 14 | Played | P | 10 | 25 | ||
| 16 | 13 | Won | W | 4 | 15 | ||
| 2 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 2 | ||
| 7 | 1 | Lost | L | 6 | 8 | ||
| 52 | 39 | Scored | S | 6 | 41 | ||
| 26 | 9 | Conceded | C | 13 | 21 | ||
| 100% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | ||
| 80% | 86% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 40% | 56% | ||
| 64% | 79% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 30% | 36% | ||
| 40% | 36% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 20% | 24% | ||
| 24% | 36% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 0% | 12% | ||
| 44% | 36% | BTTS | BTTS | 20% | 32% | ||
| 36% | 57% | Clean Sheets | C S | 30% | 44% | ||
| 20% | 7% | Failed to Score | F T | 50% | 24% | ||
| 5 | 4.7 | Corners for (avg) | C F | 5.9 | 5.5 | ||
| 3.1 | 2.8 | Corners against (avg) | C A | 4 | 4.1 | ||
| 1.5 | 1.1 | Yellow cards (avg) | Y C | 2.3 | 1.8 | ||
| 1 | 0 | Red cards | R C | 2 | 4 | ||
| 13.3 | 14.4 | Shots (avg) | S ( | 9.2 | 9.6 | ||
| 5.8 | 7 | Shots on Target (avg) | S O | 3.1 | 3.5 | ||
| 35% | 39% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 19% | 29% | ||
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | AZ | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 | Jablonec | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Randers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | CFR Cluj | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 1 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | Ajax | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 37 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 35 | 26 |
| 2 | PSV | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| 3 | FC Utrecht | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 20 |
| 4 | Feyenoord | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 19 |
| 5 | Vitesse | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 | -6 | 19 |
| 6 | Willem II | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 18 |
| 7 | AZ | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 22 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 15 |
| 8 | FC Twente | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 15 |
| 9 | NEC | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | -5 | 14 |
| 10 | SC Heerenveen | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -5 | 13 |
| 11 | Go Ahead Eagles | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 14 | -6 | 13 |
| 12 | SC Cambuur | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 14 | -7 | 12 |
| 13 | Heracles Almelo | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 14 | RKC Waalwijk | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 10 |
| 15 | FC Groningen | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | -5 | 10 |
| 16 | Fortuna Sittard | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -8 | 9 |
| 17 | Sparta Rotterdam | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | -10 | 7 |
| 18 | PEC Zwolle | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 15 | -14 | 4 |
| Total | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||||
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | MP | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | P |
| 1 | CFR Cluj | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 36 |
| 2 | Universitatea Craiova | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 28 |
| 3 | FCSB | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 24 |
| 4 | Botosani | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 24 |
| 5 | Voluntari | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 24 |
| 6 | UTA Arad | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 23 |
| 7 | Rapid Bucuresti | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 22 |
| 8 | SSC Farul | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 21 |
| 9 | Arges | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 21 |
| 10 | Chindia Targoviste | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | -1 | 14 |
| 11 | U Craiova 1948 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 12 |
| 12 | Gaz Metan Medias | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 10 | -7 | 12 |
| 13 | Mioveni | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 17 | -13 | 12 |
| 14 | Sepsi | 13 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -5 | 10 |
| 15 | Dinamo Bucuresti | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 18 | -18 | 8 |
| 16 | Academica Clinceni | 14 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 22 | -22 | 4 |