Tottenham take on the visitors AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of UEFA Europa League round of 1/8-finals. First leg result: 0-1. The match will be played on Thursday, March 13th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London).
In recent years, the "Spurs" have alternated between promising seasons and outright disappointments. The same pattern has emerged under Ange Postecoglou. In 2023/24, the Australian coach nearly guided his new side back into the top four. However, without Harry Kane, who departed for Bayern Munich, they lost the battle for a Champions League spot to Aston Villa. Last summer, they did sign a proven goal-scorer in Dominic Solanke, but injuries have plagued the squad, leading to a sharp decline in the Premier League—Tottenham have suffered significantly more defeats than victories and currently sit in the lower half of the table. Late February saw back-to-back setbacks: a heavy defeat at Anfield in the League Cup semifinal second leg after a narrow 1-0 home win against Liverpool, followed by an immediate exit from another cup competition at Aston Villa’s hands. That left the Europa League as their last hope for silverware this season. In the group stage, Spurs won five of their six matches, with their only loss coming in Istanbul against Galatasaray. As a result, they advanced directly to the Round of 16, avoiding the knockout round in February. Despite their domestic struggles, they have remained a dominant force in Europe, winning seven of their last nine Europa League matches.
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AZ Alkmaar Maintain a respectable level. The "Cheese Farmers" have been unable to replicate their shock league title success of years past. However, they have remained a consistent force in the "second tier" of Dutch football, regularly competing in European competitions. They still have a chance to finish as high as third in the Eredivisie, but a drop to sixth place is just as possible. In the Dutch Cup, AZ barely edged out Heracles in the semifinals, needing a penalty shootout to advance. Their Europa League campaign has been solid but inconsistent—three wins and three losses in the group stage, including a defeat against Tottenham. That meant they had to play in the knockout round in February, but they made a statement by thrashing Galatasaray 4-1 in the first leg before securing qualification with a high-scoring draw in Istanbul. Against Spurs, they managed a narrow home victory, aided by an own goal from Bergvall. Despite that win, AZ have struggled away from home, losing three of their last five road games in all competitions.
The 1-0 victory for Tottenham in London last October was the first-ever meeting between these two clubs. This is not exactly a "do-or-die" match for Spurs, but if they fail to win, their season is effectively over. Back them to secure a victory with a -1 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Tottenham to win with -1.0 handicap.
