Europa League Preview: Dundalk - V - AZ Alkmaar

Matchday five of the Europa League pits Dundalk against Dutch giants AZ Alkmaar, the side who they earned their first group stage point off.

DUNDALK

Thursday night’s clash with AZ in Tallaght Stadium will be Dundalk’s 50^th, and penultimate, competitive fixture of 2016. And, like many of their preceding outings, it is of huge importance if the Lilywhites are to be playing European football into early 2017.

Stephen Kenny’s side have amassed a credible total of four points from their four games to date, three of which have come in Tallaght and they will be hoping to continue their impressive form at the south-Dublin venue tomorrow night.

The Louth men have won on four of their five visits to the stadium this season, a record which Kenny is keen on extending. “We view this as a great opportunity, we are in a position that we want to be and we can take confidence from the home games here,” the Dundalk manager said at today’s press conference.

“Tallaght has been good to us, we’ve produced some terrific performances. The three games here have been outstanding, beating BATE Borisov 3-0 (in the third qualifying round of the Champions League), Maccabi Tel Aviv was a convincing 1-0 win and then we went toe-to-toe with Zenit. Those performances are up there with any Irish team.”

Having ran Zenit - a club with more than 165 times their annual budget - extremely close in back-to-back rounds, Dundalk should be confident of giving AZ a test similar to the one that the Dutchmen got at the AFAS Stadion in September which saw Ciaran Kilduff grab his team a 90^th minute equaliser.

Although it is worth noting that the Lilywhites, despite having lifted the league title, are in the midst of their joint-worst run of form this season having lost three of their last four matches in all competitions, including the agonising 1-0 defeat to Cork City in the FAI Cup Final 17 days ago.

Progression is still essentially in their own hands however. It is simple, win their remaining two fixtures against John van den Brom’s side and Maccabi Tel-Aviv and they can look forward to a knockout tie in February.

In saying that though, a draw tomorrow night would still be a positive result as it would rule the visitors out of the reckoning for a place in the next round and give Dundalk, no matter the outcome of the result in St. Petersburg, an opportunity of going through when they face-off with Maccabi in Israel on December 8th.

The questions loom large as to whether the Lilywhites will be able to cope with their lack of competitive action recently and if they can arrest their recent slump. If, however, they can repeat their heroics from their last meeting with Cheeseheads, a result may well be in the offing.

Dundalk captain Stephen O’Donnell was dismissed when the sides last faced off and it remains to be seen if he will be fit to face the Eredivisie side this time around due to respective hamstring and calf complaints. Ronan Finn and Chris Shields are also rated doubtful.

AZ ALKMAAR

Having won two from their last 11 games, AZ are not coming to Dublin having set the world alight. They sit fifth in the Eredivisie and although that may not be a disastrous positioning, should they exit European competition tomorrow night it could spell disarray in their camp.

Their poor run of form can be traced back to the earlier meeting of the sides, the 1-1 draw in September. The Cheeseheads had started the season well with qualification for the group stages having been achieved at a canter and with three wins and a draw from their opening five domestic encounters.

Things were all set-up for van den Brom’s side to steam-roller the visiting Irishmen and their 1,002 travelling fans. That didn’t materialise though and Dundalk were deserved of their point.

The game was one to forget for the locals, not just due to letting in a late leveller but, because of the horrific injury sustained by Stijn Wuytens in scoring the opener.

They seemed somewhat unsettled in the aftermath of him being stretchered off following a heavy collision with Dundalk keeper Gary Rogers, and some could say they haven’t recovered since.

In Europe, things have been miserable. They followed up their draw with the Lilywhites with a heavy reversal in Russia, losing 5-0 to Zenit, before taking only one point from their two matches with Maccabi.

Two points from a possible 12 doesn’t represent success for the twice Dutch champions, although the fact that they can still progress to the last 32 will offer huge encouragement ahead of their remaining games in Group D.

Striker Wout Weghorst, arguably the man culpable for Kilduff’s equaliser in Alkmaar, has been finding some form recently having been under pressure to fill the void left by Vincent Janssen who moved to Tottenham Hotspur.

The tall forward has notched three goals in his last two games and has 11 for the season, although he is yet to score for his new club in Europe. He, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and former Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar are likely to be key for AZ tomorrow night.  

AZ boss, van den Brom, has again been complementary of the Lilywhites and their style of play, saying that “Dundalk like to play football” and comparing them to Dutch way of playing. He will know however that anything other than a victory in Dublin and their European campaign will be over.

Referee: István Vad (HUN)

MATCH STATS

Dundalk have never beaten a Dutch team in Europe.

It is seven Europa League group games away from home without a win for AZ.

Opposing defenders Brian Gartland and Mattias Johansson are one more yellow-card away from a suspension.

MATCH BETTING

Dundalk 15/8; Draw 23/10; AZ 5/4.

PREDICTION

Dundalk 1-1 AZ

Dundalk FC

Injured: None.

Doubtful: Ronan Finn (hamstring), Chris Shields (hamstring), Stephen O’Donnell (calf and hamstring).

Suspended: None.

AZ Alkmaar

Injured: Rens van Eijden, Gino Coutinho.

Doubtful: Unknown.

Suspended: None.