The latest round of Eredivisie matches sees second-place PSV Eindhoven head to the AFAS Stadion on Sunday for a mammoth clash against AZ Alkmaar.
With current leaders Feyenoord not in action until after the sound of the final whistle in Alkmaar, the hosts have the opportunity to close the gap on the summit to one point, while the away side will go three points clear at the top of the standings with a victory here.
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- PSV Eindhoven have not tasted defeat in nine matches across all competitions.
- Fast starts have been central to the visitors' impressive run as they have gone into the interval ahead in five of their last six matches.
- Like PSV, AZ Alkmaar have also made a habit of flying out of the blocks in matches, having opened the scoring in five of their most recent six outings.
Correct score prediction: AZ Alkmaar 3-3 PSV Eindhoven
The last four editions of this fixture have yielded a combined 17 goals, and all evidence points to another exhilarating encounter on Sunday.
That said, calling an outright winner is difficult, so we are backing a stalemate come the end of the 90 minutes.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Defending champions the bookies' choice
- HOME: 19/10 (2.90) – 34.5%
- DRAW: 29/10 (3.90) – 25.6%
- AWAY: 23/20 (2.15) – 46.5%
*Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
AZ have not been beaten in a home league game since February, but are underdogs to come away with maximum points from Sunday's affair, as shown by their 34.5% win probability.
Maarten Martens's men were beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace in their most recent outing on Thursday when their five-game winning streak came to a disappointing end.
For PSV, a 46.5% win probability suggests they are huge favourites to come out on top, and it is not hard to see why, given their 100% record in away league matches so far (five wins from five).
However, Peter Bosz's men were held to a draw in their last away outing back on Tuesday as they visited Piraeus to lock horns with Olympiacos.
For more from the upcoming matches, today’s free football betting tips look at some of the best picks.
Most recent H2Hs: Visitors well on top
Up by a goal heading into the final five minutes, Ajax looked set to secure a first win in five games against PSV back in January's most recent clash, which eventually ended 2-2.
Sunday's hosts did, however, manage to snap a four-game losing streak, but will be keen to get one over their hosts for the first time since November 2022.
Netherlands Eredivisie 11/01/25
PSV
AZ
Netherlands Eredivisie 19/10/24
AZ
PSV
Netherlands Eredivisie 06/04/24
PSV
AZ
Netherlands Eredivisie 17/12/23
AZ
PSV
Netherlands Eredivisie 28/05/23
AZ
PSV
AZ Alkmaar preview: Huge test on the horizon
Currently four points shy of PSV, AZ Alkmaar will be keen to stay within touching distance of their next opponents in the title race by avoiding defeat this weekend.
The Cheeseheads have won their last four league matches ahead of what is undoubtedly their toughest assignment of the season to date.
Predicted lineup: Owusu-Oduro(GK), De Wit, Goes, Penetra, Dijkstra, Smit, Mijnans, Koopmeiners, Patati, Jensen & Parrott
AZ Alkmaar's last five matches:
- Crystal Palace 3-1 AZ Alkmaar (Conference League)
- Sparta Rotterdam 0-1 AZ Alkmaar (Eredivisie)
- AZ Alkmaar 4-1 Utrecht (Eredivisie)
- AZ Alkmaar 1-0 Slovan Bratislava (Conference League)
- Ajax 0-2 AZ Alkmaar (Eredivisie)
PSV Eindhoven preview: Attacking output central to title pursuit
PSV are behind Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord only on goal difference, and De Rood-witten have been devastating at the top end of the pitch en route to picking up 28 points from a possible 33.
With clean sheets currently at a premium for the visitors, they will need to keep up their sharp edge in attack.
Predicted lineup: Kovar(GK), Dest, Gasiorowski, Salah-Eddine, Schouten, Veerman, Mauro, Saibari, Man, Perisic & Til
PSV Eindhoven's last five matches:
- Olympiacos 1-1 PSV Eindhoven (Champions League)
- PSV Eindhoven 5-2 Fortuna (Eredivisie)
- Feyenoord 2-3 PSV Eindhoven (Eredivisie)
- PSV Eindhoven 6-2 Napoli (Champions League)
- PSV Eindhoven 2-1 Go Ahead Eagles (Eredivisie)
Player to watch – Ismael Saibari
After blanking in his first five league matches of the season, Saibari has now racked up eight goals and an assist in his subsequent six Eredivisie matches.
Consequently, the 24-year-old is second in the Golden Boot race, albeit a whopping five goals shy of early frontrunner Ayase Ueda.
Saibari has netted at the AFAS Stadion for PSV in the past and will be seeking to deliver another telling contribution this weekend.