Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar Betting Tips & Preview

AZ Alkmaar to win

Sunderland host AZ Alkmaar in the League Stage of the Europa League, and the visitors look the more reliable side heading into this one. AZ arrive on the back of four wins from their last five outings, a run that shows a team scoring goals and grinding out results across different opponents, while Sunderland's form has been far more mixed, with defeats to Ipswich Town and Arsenal sandwiching their better performances. Our model puts AZ Alkmaar as favourites at 43.4% to win this fixture outright, and given the contrast in recent output, that reads as the most sensible starting point for a selection. The best price available on the market for this outcome is 4.80, but that's simply where things stand at the bookmakers rather than the reason for backing it — the case here is built on what both sides have been doing on the pitch lately.

Recent Form

Sunderland's last five matches have brought two wins, one draw and two defeats, a set of results that suggests a team capable of turning up against the right opposition but still vulnerable against stronger sides. They lost away to Ipswich Town, then bounced back with a home win over Fulham, followed by a draw at Brentford. A home win over Hull City kept the momentum going before Arsenal came to the Stadium of Light and left with all three points. It's a run with encouraging moments, but the defeat to a top-tier side like Arsenal is a reminder that Sunderland can be got at by teams with genuine quality.

AZ Alkmaar's form tells a different story. They won away at FC Utrecht and Fortuna Sittard, followed that with a home win over Go Ahead Eagles, then won again away at SC Heerenveen before their run of victories was finally broken by a draw against Willem II at home. Four wins and a draw from five is a strong return by any measure, and the consistency of that sequence — beating sides home and away without much interruption — is the clearest signal in this preview.

Head-to-Head

There's no head-to-head record to draw on here. Our data shows no previous meetings between Sunderland and AZ Alkmaar, so this looks to be either a first-ever encounter between the two clubs or a fixture with history that simply predates what we have on file. Either way, there's no past pattern to lean on, and the assessment has to rest entirely on how both teams are playing right now.

Team News

Sunderland have a handful of players sidelined. Habib Diarra is out with a hamstring injury since the end of August, Alan Browne has been missing since late May with an unspecified issue, Romaine Mundle continues to be unavailable with a hamstring problem dating back to February, and Aji Alese remains out with a broken leg suffered back in January 2025. That's a reasonable list of absentees for the home side to contend with.

AZ Alkmaar's injury list is longer. Kees Smit is out with a groin injury, Hobie Verhulst is unavailable through an eligibility issue, and Jordy Clasie is listed with both a knee problem and a separate unknown injury on record. Lequincio Zeefuik has been out since mid-2025 with an unknown injury, Stije Resink is a longer-term absentee with a cruciate ligament injury from March, Denso Kasius is missing with a groin issue, and Elijah Dijkstra is out with a leg injury picked up in late August. Despite the volume of names on that list, AZ have still managed to win four of their last five, which says something about the strength in depth they've had to call upon.