The league table in Eredivisie tells a story about these teams so far, with AZ Alkmaar leading VVV-Venlo by 23 points. Match preview to follow:
The hosts AZ Alkmaar saw competitive action as recent as three days ago, playing in the Europa League. This match was also played here at AFAS Stadion. With two consecutive home games the intense schedule is somewhat softened. Still, VVV-Venlo have had more rest.
VVV-Venlo play their home games on artificial turf, while this game is played on grass. Recent stats for VVV-Venlo when playing on grass are 4 wins, 9 draws and 14 defeats from 27 matches. They have scored 25 goals and conceded 60 times in these games.
AZ Alkmaar form and stats
The home supporters can't complain about results here at AFAS Stadion as AZ Alkmaar, who have the most clean sheets (10) in Eredivisie, have scored 20 goals to get 19 points from 8 games. The overall stats in the Eredivisie are 6-1-1 (wins-draws-losses). With a nice streak brewing from their home games, AZ Alkmaar are also looking for their fifth consecutive victory regardless of location. Two home wins in a row for AZ Alkmaar bring valid hopes of a third.
The AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Marco Bizot is looking to record 90 more "clean sheet" minutes as his team have now played 387 minutes without conceding a goal.
The home supporters saw a 2-2 draw versus Partizan in the Europa League last time out and are looking for a win here. In the preceding match a 3-0 victory visiting FC Utrecht.
There was plenty of action in the dying minutes of the game against Partizan as F. Druijf's goal in the 90th minute completed a cancellation of 0-2 and secured a point.
AZ Alkmaar are huge favourites in this match and it would be a big surprise if they fail to leave AFAS Stadion with maximum points. The home side has been in this situation before, with huge expectations of a win. eleven earlier games are comparable to this one, and AZ Alkmaar has won 6 times, drawn 3 and lost 2. Sports bettors who like handicap betting will like to know that AZ Alkmaar has won by at least two goals 3 times when in this position.
AZ Alkmaar are showing their attacking force in their league home games this season, scoring more than 2,5 goals per game on average (20 goals in 8 games). From these home matches, AZ Alkmaar have conceded only 5 goals.
VVV-Venlo form and stats
VVV-Venlo, who have the most conceded goals (39) in Eredivisie, have only collected 3 points from their away games in the Eredivisie, after 1-0-7 (8 played). It's all red in the travel logs of VVV-Venlo, having lost five matches in a row as the visiting team.
The supporters enjoyed VVV-Venlo's previous game versus FC Twente (placed 12th), a Eredivisie 2-1 win played at home. A 1-6 defeat away at Heracles before that.
Nobody expects VVV-Venlo to collect points from a game like this. The team has been David versus Goliath twelve times before, with the overall statistics of won 1, draw 1 and lost 10. When defeated, 8 matches have been lost by two or more goals.
The visitors have scored 6 goals from 8 away games in the league, an average of less than one per game. The opposition has been scoring high and low on VVV-Venlo's goalkeeper in away games this season, as they have let in 22 goals in 8 travels.
Head 2 Head
The last H2H meeting was AZ Alkmaar - VVV-Venlo 1-0, played this season. Head-2-head stats last ten meetings: 7 - 2 - 1 (AZ Alkmaar wins - draws - VVV-Venlo wins). As for goals, 6 matches ended with three or more goals (over 2,5), 4 had two or less.Top Goalscorers
 
M. Boadu
9 goals
|
T. Koopmeiners
7 goals
|
O. Idrissi
7 goals
|
AZ Alkmaar missing players
VVV-Venlo missing players
| AZ Alkmaar | VVV-Venlo | ||||||
| Total | Home | vs
|
Statistics | Stat | vs
|
Away | Total |
| 14 | 7 | 2 | Played | P | 3 | 7 | 14 |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | Won | W | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Drew | D | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | Lost | L | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 34 | 19 | 7 | Scored | S | 2 | 6 | 14 |
| 8 | 5 | 0 | Conceded | C | 11 | 21 | 38 |
| 93% | 86% | 100% | Over 0.5 | O 0.5 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 86% | 86% | 100% | Over 1.5 | O 1.5 | 67% | 71% | 86% |
| 64% | 71% | 100% | Over 2.5 | O 2.5 | 67% | 71% | 86% |
| 29% | 43% | 50% | Over 3.5 | O 3.5 | 67% | 57% | 50% |
| 14% | 29% | 0% | Over 4.5 | O 4.5 | 67% | 57% | 36% |
| 29% | 29% | 0% | BTTS | BTTS | 67% | 71% | 64% |
| 71% | 71% | 100% | Clean Sheets | C S | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 7% | 14% | 0% | Failed to Score | F T | 33% | 29% | 36% |
| 7.1 | 9.4 | 11 | Corners For (avg) | C F | 2.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| 3.2 | 2.4 | 0.5 | Corners Against (avg) | C A | 7.3 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | Yellow Cards (avg) | Y C | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Red Cards | R C | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 194 | 114 | 41 | Total Shots | T S | 26 | 68 | 139 |
| 78 | 42 | 21 | Shots on Target | S O | 8 | 21 | 47 |
| 44% | 45% | 33% | Goal Efficiency | G E | 25% | 29% | 30% |
- AZ Alkmaar has the fewest conceded goals (8)
- AZ Alkmaar has the fewest conceded goals in the second half (2)
- AZ Alkmaar has the most clean sheets (10)
- AZ Alkmaar have played more matches over 2,5 goals home than away.
- AZ Alkmaar have scored at least twice as many goals as they have conceded.
- AZ Alkmaar have scored more than double the goals of VVV-Venlo.
- AZ Alkmaar have won at least twice as many corners as they have conceded.
- AZ Alkmaar have won significantly more corners at home than away.
- VVV-Venlo has the fewest scored goals (14)
- VVV-Venlo has the fewest scored goals in the first half (6)
- VVV-Venlo has the most conceded goals (39)
- VVV-Venlo has the most conceded goals in the first half (17)
- VVV-Venlo has the the worst goal difference (-25)
- VVV-Venlo have conceded at least twice as many goals as they have scored.
- VVV-Venlo have failed to keep a clean sheet in all their matches.
- VVV-Venlo haven’t played a single 0-0 game.
| 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 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 10 | 40 | 41 |
| 2 | AZ Alkmaar | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 35 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 27 | 35 |
| 3 | PSV | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 27 |
| 4 | Willem II | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 26 |
| 5 | Heracles | 15 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 29 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 24 |
| 6 | SC Heerenveen | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 24 |
| 7 | Feyenoord | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 27 | 25 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 24 |
| 8 | FC Utrecht | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 23 |
| 9 | Vitesse | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 2 | 23 |
| 10 | FC Groningen | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 21 |
| 11 | Sparta Rotterdam | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 28 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 18 | -4 | 19 |
| 12 | FC Twente | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 26 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 15 | -5 | 18 |
| 13 | Fortuna Sittard | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 35 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 25 | -15 | 15 |
| 14 | FC Emmen | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 29 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 20 | -12 | 14 |
| 15 | PEC Zwolle | 15 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 22 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 17 | -12 | 13 |
| 16 | VVV-Venlo | 15 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 14 | 39 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 22 | -25 | 12 |
| 17 | ADO Den Haag | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 30 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 17 | -13 | 11 |
| 18 | RKC Waalwijk | 15 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 16 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 24 | -21 | 8 |