H2H: Real Sociedad vs AZ Alkmaar – Prediction (Europa League

H2H: Sociedad v Alkmaar – Comparison.

Mikel Oyarzabal has five goals across Sociedad’s last six competitive matches – three from the penalty spot. Meanwhile, Albert Guðmundsson scored twice for AZ in the last UEL round, and has netted five goals across his last three competitive games. AZ’s last five European away matches saw just one side score (W2, L3).

Sociedad Insights.

In what will be their first match against Dutch opposition, current La Liga (LL) leaders Real Sociedad will be eager for victory after an indifferent start to UEFA Europa League (UEL) Group F (W1, L1). However the Basque side have had issues at home in recent times, winning just three of their last 11 competitive home matches (W3, D3, L5). Sociedad’s 1-0 defeat at home to Napoli was just their second competitive defeat this season though (W6, D2, L2), but curiously, that other defeat also came by a 1-0 scoreline at home. Regardless, ‘La Real’ can puff out their chests after four straight LL wins in which they scored an average of 3.5 goals, whilst conceding just twice in total!

Alkmaar Insights.

AZ Alkmaar got their first domestic win at the weekend after an incredible run of five straight draws to start the Eredivisie campaign, but have won both matches in Group F so far – the first time since 2006/07 that they managed two from two in a major European tournament. Draws aside, they’ve now won three of their last four competitive matches (D1), scoring 2.5 goals on average across those games. Away from home this season, AZ have either won or lost in matches where just one side scored (W1, L1) or taken part in multi-goal draws (D3). Remarkably, they’ve conceded ten of their 11 away goals during the second half (90.91%) while scoring 60% of their goals before HT. Historically, they’ve held their own on Spanish soil in European competition though (W2, D2, L2).