NAC Breda vs AZ Alkmaar Predictions

Breda are yet to win a game since returning from the winter break and on Friday night they play host to an inform AZ Alkmaar side that have not only won all four games since the turn of the year, but have also kept clean sheets in each of those matches. Breda are certainly in for a tough ninety minutes on Friday and will have to be at their very best to end AZ’s winning streak.

Breda were thrashed 3-0 away at fellow strugglers De Graafschap last Friday, a result which saw the newly promoted club move off the bottom of the Eredivisie table at the expense of Breda. A twenty-ninth minute Burgzorg goal proved enough to separate the two clubs at the half time interval, but just four minutes after the restart, El Jebli made it 2-0 and ended any realistic hopes of a Breda comeback. Owusu struck a third goal for the hosts deep into stoppage time and it was the least De Graafschap deserved after dominating the majority of the match.

Two penalties and an own goal during the first half settled AZ’s home game against newly promoted Emmen. Koopmeiners converted one penalty in the tenth minute and another on the half hour mark to put AZ Alkmaar 2-0 up at home, and before the break, the unfortunate de Leeuw put the ball into the back of his own net to make the halftime scoreline 3-0. Stengs added a fourth two minutes after the restart and teammate Johnsen concluded the scoring four minutes from time with the hosts fifth and final goal. That result, coupled with Feyenoord’s defeat means that AZ are now just five points behind third place and have the wind in their sails.

We’re expecting another convincing display from an in form and confident AZ side on Friday night, especially as their hosts are struggling to score goals and have been letting them in at the other end on a regular basis. AZ have won the last six meetings between the two clubs, and kept clean sheets on three of those occasions. Breda have scored one and conceded six goals in their last three matches, while AZ have won their last four and not let a single goal in. The form of both sides and the recent history between the pair all points towards another win and another clean sheet for AZ on Friday.

Breda’s top scorer te Vrede has chipped in with nine Eredivisie goals this season, and they have missed their target man through injury and it doesn’t look like he will be back in time for Friday’s match either. Morocco’s Idrissi has scored seven league goals so far this season for AZ and top scores for the visitors, while summer signing Johnsen is just two goals behind on seven.

We’re confident that AZ will win to nil on Friday, and have backed a final scoreline of 2-0. The visitors are in great form and haven’t conceded a goal in their last four matches, while their last six games against Breda have all ended in victory. The hosts have only scored one goal since returning from the winter break and at the other end have conceded six time in their last three matches.