Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar - prediction, team news, lineups

Sunderland statesman their archetypal European run successful 53 years connected Wednesday nighttime erstwhile they invited AZ Alkmaar to the Stadium of Light for matchday 1 successful the Europa League.

The Black Cats were beaten connected location ungraded by Premier League champions Arsenal past weekend, portion the Cheese Farmers preserved their unbeaten home tally with an Eredivisie gully against Willem II past Friday.

Match preview

Sunderland were competing successful the 3rd part of English shot lone 5 seasons ago, but they are present gearing up for their archetypal run successful UEFA contention since 1973 aft exceeding expectations to unafraid seventh spot successful the Premier League past season.

The Black Cats person since made a mixed commencement to the caller season, with 2 wins, 1 gully and 2 defeats posted crossed their opening 5 home matches successful each competitions, astir precocious pursuing up a 1-0 EFL Cup triumph implicit Hull City with a 2-0 league decision astatine location to Arsenal connected Saturday.

Sunderland person present mislaid 5 of their past 9 Premier League matches astatine the Stadium of Light (W3 D1), and caput manager Regis Le Bris was near “frustrated” aft his broadside came distant empty-handed from a fixture wherever they went “toe-to-toe” with the reigning champions.

A tricky travel to Man City is conscionable astir the country for the Black Cats, but their attraction indispensable present crook to this week’s eagerly-anticipated League Phase opener successful the Europa League, and their archetypal European fixture connected location ungraded since beating Sporting Lisbon 2-1 successful the archetypal limb of a 1973 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup second-round necktie (before going connected to suffer 3-2 connected aggregate).

Preparing for their archetypal competitory brushwood against Dutch opposition, Sunderland volition beryllium regarded arsenic somewhat of an chartless quantity connected the continent, but Le Bris volition cognize that transforming the Stadium of Light into a fortress is paramount if they are to unafraid a top-eight decorativeness successful the 36-team League Phase.

Despite finishing down successful seventh spot successful the Eredivisie past season, AZ Alkmaar person qualified for the Europa League this word aft winning the KNVB Beker for the 5th clip successful their history, courtesy of a 5-1 triumph implicit NEC successful the last successful April.

Leeroy Echteld past steered the Cheese Farmers to a connection 4-0 triumph implicit Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven successful the Johan Cruyff Shield, and they person since made their associated second-best commencement to a top-flight campaign, winning 5 and drafting 1 of their opening six league games.

Maximum points were collected against Den Haag (2-0), FC Utrecht (4-1), Fortuna Sittard (2-0), Go Ahead Eagles (5-2) and Heerenveen (3-2) earlier AZ were held to a 1-1 location gully by Willem II past Friday aft conceding an 81st-minute goal.

Sitting 2nd successful the array and level connected points with PSV astatine the summit, AZ are gearing up for their ninth run successful the Europa League, portion they progressed to the quarter-finals of the Conference League past season, losing 5-2 connected aggregate to Shakhtar Donetsk.

AZ question to the North East this week with a mediocre grounds against English absorption successful European competition, winning lone 3 of their erstwhile 22 matches (D5 L14). They astir precocious suffered a 3-1 distant decision to Crystal Palace successful the League Phase of past season’s Conference League, a twelvemonth aft beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 astatine location successful the archetypal limb of a Europa League last-16 tie.

Sunderland signifier (all competitions):

AZ Alkmaar signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Sunderland are inactive having to header without injured duo Habib Diarra (thigh) and Romaine Mundle (knee), portion Chemsdine Talbi, Jocelin Ta Bi, Melker Ellborg, Alan Browne and Aji Alese person each been omitted from the club’s Europa League squad.

Reinildo Mandava was sent disconnected successful the closing stages of the decision to Arsenal, but the left-back volition lone service a home prohibition and is truthful disposable to play connected Wednesday.

Le Bris is apt to sanction a beardown broadside including the likes of Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, Granit Xhaka, Enzo Le Fee and ex-Ajax striker Brian Brobbey, portion caller signing Malick Fofana volition beryllium hoping to unit his mode into the archetypal XI for the archetypal time.

As for AZ Alkmaar, cardinal midfielder Kees Smit is acceptable to miss retired with a groin injury, portion right-back Denso Kasius (groin), midfielder Stije Resink (knee) and goalkeeper Hobie Verhulst (ineligible) are each unavailable for selection.

Ro-Zangelo Daal has scored a team-high 5 goals successful 7 games truthful acold this word and helium is expected to proceed connected the near broadside of a beforehand 3 adjacent to striker Mexx Meerdink and Calvin Stengs connected the right.

Captain Jordy Clasie, formerly of Southampton, is acceptable to nexus arms with Peer Koopmeiners and Dave Kwakman successful midfield, portion a centre-back pairing of Lewis Schouten and Wouter Goes is expected to stay intact.

Sunderland imaginable starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Danso, Reinildo; Xhaka, Sadiki; Angulo, Le Fee, Fofana; Brobbey

AZ Alkmaar imaginable starting lineup:

De Busser; Dijkstra, Goes, Schouten, Chavez; Clasie, Koopmeiners; Stengs, Kwakman, Daal; Meerdink

We say: Sunderland 1-1 AZ Alkmaar

Sunderland volition beryllium backed by a vociferous location assemblage arsenic they observe their long-awaited instrumentality to the European stage, but a well-organised and objective AZ Alkmaar broadside represents a stern trial for the hosts.

Given the Black Cats' caller inconsistencies alongside the visitors' exceptional home form, we consciousness that a tightly-contested matter connected Wearside volition yet spot the 2 teams cancel each different out, forcing them to stock the spoils connected matchday one.

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