AZ Alkmaar vs Groningen Predictions and Betting Tips | December 18th 2024

AZ Alkmaar will host Groningen at the AFAS Stadion on Wednesday night in the round of 32 of the 2024-25 KNVB Beker campaign. The hosts will be keen to advance to the next round as they seek their first cup win in over a decade.

AZ will return to the cup hoping to go past the quarter-final stage, where they were knocked out by eventual winners Feyenoord last season. The hosts are unbeaten in their last six competitive matches following a 2-1 league victory over NAC Breda last weekend and will look to continue their fine form when they host the newly promoted visitors.

Groningen were the surprise team of the last KNVB Beker campaign as they made their way past the quarter-finals before losing 2-1 to Feyenoord in the semis. The visitors opened their cup account this season with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Verde Divisie side Kolping Boys.

Despite their league struggles that see them sit in 14th place in the Eredivisie, Groningen will hope to repeat their cup-winning heroics from the 2014-15 season.

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AZ Alkmaar vs Groningen Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two teams have met on 79 previous occasions going into Wednesday's match. AZ have won 35 of those matches, and Groningen have won 21 while the remaining 23 have ended in draws.
• The hosts have lost just two of their last 15 games in this fixture.
• The visitors have failed to score in six of the last nine meetings with AZ Alkmaar.
• Their most recent meeting between the two teams ended in a goalless draw.
• Only PSV (13) and Ajax (16) have conceded fewer goals than AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch top flight this season.
• Groningen have the joint-second worst offensive record in the league with 14 goals scored. Only last-placed Almere City (7) have scored fewer.

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AZ Alkmaar vs Groningen Prediction

AZ are strong favorites going into this cup tie and will be confident to advance to the next round thanks to their improved form in recent games.

Groningen, meanwhile, have had mixed results of late and will mostly rely on the 'magic of the cup' when they make the midweek trip to Alkmaar. They have, however, lost six of their last seven games on the road and could lose here as well.

Prediction: AZ Alkmaar 2-0 Groningen

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AZ Alkmaar vs Groningen Betting Tips

Tip 1 - Result: AZ Alkmaar to win

Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Under 2.5 goals (Five of the last six games between the two teams have produced fewer than 2.5 goals)

Tip 3 - Both teams to score: NO (Both sides have found the back of the net in just two of their last six matchups)