Kairat Almaty vs AZ Alkmaar Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

AZ Alkmaar weren’t far off the Champions League in the Eredivisie last season, but they kick off the new campaign in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Based on a strong campaign in the league last term, AZ will be expected to progress in Europe. However, they missed out a year in continental action last term. Will that push them towards an early exit in this clash with Kazakh side Kairat, or is this going to be an opportunity for the Dutch side to spark a run to the group stage?

The visitors last featured in Europe back in 2017, when they went out to Lyon in the first knockout round. They were beaten 11-2 on aggregate in that tie, after finishing second in their group. They’ll be looking for a similar run this year, based on their strong season in the Eredivisie last time out. They’ve got the talent to reach the group stage at least, and they’ve been priced up as favourites in this visit to Kazakhstan on Thursday night. Can they live up to that billing and pull off a win?

AZ’s away record in Europe doesn’t exactly fill us with confidence. While they have a few wins to their name, they’ve mostly tended to struggle on the road in the Europa League. With three wins in 10, this long trip looks even more daunting for the Eredivisie side. They’ve shipped a total of 28 goals in their last 12 away Europa League ties, and that has got to worry them going in to this first leg.

Kairat have been in fine form domestically this season, as they look to chase down Astana. They’ve won nine of 10 home games so far, racking up 25 goals in the process. They’ve averaged 2.1 goals per game across their league campaign, which is a strong scoring record. That’s bound to factor in to this clash, especially as the visitors are weak defensively. Kairat progressed to this round after a thumping 10-1 aggregate victory over Engordany, and with seven of those goals coming at home, they should have little worries going forward.

The hosts have scored in 12 straight home games in this competition, while AZ have found the net in seven of nine away trips. We expect goals in this clash, and both teams to score seems like the best bet ahead of Thursday’s meeting. We also expect a 1-1 draw in this clash, given how AZ have performed on the road in Europe.