AZ Alkmaar vs NAC Breda Predictions

• AZ have won their last 7 matches against Breda.
• AZ have kept 4 clean sheets in their last 7 meetings with Breda.
• AZ have won 4 of their last 5 matches in all competitions.
• AZ have kept clean sheets in 73% of their home games in the Eredivisie.

The hosts have a mean defensive record at home

AZ cruised to a 4-0 victory at home to RKC in late January but haven’t played a competitive match since, while Breda drew at home with TOP Oss 1-1 last Friday. A division separates these two clubs with AZ plying their trade in the top flight of Dutch football while Breda play in the Eerste Divisie where they currently occupy one of the playoff places, so these two sides might well meet again next season under different circumstances.

Wednesday’s hosts have an excellent recent record against Breda, winning each of the pairs’ last seven encounters and keeping four clean sheets during that period. AZ also head into this clash as the form favourites having won four of their last six matches in all competitions, including a friendly against Mechelen, while Breda have failed to win any of their last three matches.

AZ have won eight of their eleven home games in the league this season while Breda have already lost four times on the road, with the hosts averaging an impressive 2.27 points per home game. AZ score an average of 2.36 goals per home game and only conceding an average of 0.73 goals, which is one of the reasons we have backed the hosts to win 3-0 on Wednesday.

Breda are up against the odds and have bigger priorities than the KNVB Beker

Breda’s away games produce an average of 2.58 total goals while AZ’s home games average 3.09 goals, which backs up our prediction for over 2.5 goals to be scored on Wednesday evening. Over 2.5 goals have been scored in 50% of Breda’s away games as well as in 64% of AZ’s home games, but both teams have scored in just 27% of the hosts’ home matches which is why we have backed AZ to keep a clean sheet in this Quarter-Final.

AZ have only conceded 8-goals at home in the league this season and have managed to keep clean sheets in 73% of their matches there, winning-to-nil 64% of the time. Breda have failed to score in a quarter of their away games this season and won’t have come across a defence as mean as AZ’s in the Eerste Divisie, which is why we believe the visitors will fail to score on Wednesday.

We’re confident that AZ will win-to-nil on Wednesday evening and we have predicted a final scoreline of 3-0. The hosts are the big favourites due to their impressive Eredivisie campaign, while Breda will be forgiven for taking one-eye off their cup run knowing that promotion back to the top flight of Dutch football remains their first priority.