AZ Alkmaar vs Norwich City predictions for this friendly pre-season game that will be played on Wednesday as both sides are ramping up their preparation to the 2023/24 season. Read on for all our free betting tips and predictions.
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Match Live Wednesday, 19h July at 5:30 pm In:
AZ Alkmaar vs Norwich City Predictions
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A Pre-season Face-off: Defensive Giants AZ Alkmaar Meet Norwich City in Friendly Encounter
Key Stats
– Norwich City have scored seven goals in their last four friendlies, highlighting their offensive potential.
– Vangelis Pavlidis, AZ Alkmaar’s forward, has been showcasing his goal-scoring prowess in recent matches, making him a likely candidate to score.
As the football pre-season heats up, AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands will host Norwich City this Wednesday. This friendly match forms an integral part of both teams’ preparations for the upcoming season, providing an opportunity to test new strategies and integrate fresh faces into their respective squads.
A Look at the Hosts
The Dutch side, fondly known as the Cheeseheads, recently triumphed over Lech Poznan, crushing the Polish team 4-0. This victory saw a standout performance from the young midfielder Mayckel Lahdo who, despite coming off the bench, managed to net two goals, while an own goal from Lech Poznan’s Maksymilian Pingot wrapped up the hosts’ win.
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In addition to their latest victory, AZ Alkmaar are coming off a notable 2022-23 campaign, concluding the season in the fourth position in the Eredivisie. They also had a commendable run in the Europa Conference League, making it to the semi-finals before losing to West Ham United, the eventual champions. An especially notable point from their last season was their defensive prowess, conceding fewer goals than even the second and third-placed teams, PSV Eindhoven and Ajax, respectively.
However, Alkmaar have been grappling with injuries recently, particularly those of centre-back Bruno Martins Indi and goalkeeper Peter Vindahl Jensen. Yet, with a flurry of new signings including Deno Kasius, David Moller Wolfe, and Ruben van Bommel, they are gearing up for the upcoming season.
The Visitors from Norwich
The Canaries, on the other hand, have been showing promising form in their pre-season matches, with two wins and two draws from their four games thus far. Notably, they secured a convincing 6-1 victory over King’s Lynn Town, demonstrating their offensive capabilities.
Their recent performances, however, contrast with their underwhelming 2022-23 campaign. Norwich City finished 13th in the Championship, a full seven points shy of the playoff spots. This was compounded by managerial changes as David Wagner replaced Dean Smith halfway through the season, but the latter struggled to achieve an upturn in results.
Despite these setbacks, Norwich City have been active in the transfer market, strengthening their squad with Ashley Barnes, Jack Stacey, Shane Duffy, and Borja Sainz. However, they have also experienced a significant loss, with prolific striker Teemu Pukki departing for MLS side Minnesota United.
Predictions
With the context of their current form and preparations in mind, three predictions can be made for this clash.
First, considering Alkmaar’s defensive record and the fact that Norwich City are adjusting to the departure of their primary goal scorer, a prediction for the market of under 2.5 total goals scored seems likely. This scenario may offer decent odds, given Alkmaar’s recent high-scoring matches, but taking into account Norwich’s recent struggles for goals, this seems a reasonable prospect.
Secondly, regarding the correct score, based on the previous performances of both teams, a 1-0 victory in favour of AZ Alkmaar could be a plausible prediction. This considers Alkmaar’s strong defensive performance last season and Norwich’s recent difficulty in scoring, in addition to the higher quality of the Dutch’s side.
For the third prediction, the standout player to score at least once could be AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis. He has been in fine form, scoring in their recent friendly, and with Norwich adjusting to their new defensive signings, there may be an opportunity for him to strike.
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