Premier League side Crystal Palace welcomes Dutch side AZ Alkmaar at Selhurst Park in a much-anticipated UEFA Conference League fixture. Both teams have played 2 games and have managed to win 1 and lose the other in Europe thus far.
The London side will be keen to bank on their good home form to extract a win against their opponents.
Preview
Crystal Palace began their journey in the Conference League on the back of a strong 2-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv despite being a man down. However, their good start was ruined after losing at home in their second game, 1-0 to AEK Larnaca.
Now, the Eagles have revived their form to some extent and will be keen to grab all three points from the game. The side defeated Brentford 2-0 in the league and has lost just a single game in their last 15 home games. Interestingly, Palace has now been averaging less than one goal on an average in their recent fixtures.
Dutch side AZ Alkmaar is also riding high on a rich vein of form. The side is currently on a five-game winning streak across all competitions. They began their Conference League campaign with a 4-0 loss to AEK Larnaca. They, however, turned this around in their next game and scraped away a 1-0 win over Slovan Bratislava
Head-to-Head
There is no past record of fixtures between these two sides in Europe. This will be the first competitive meeting between Crystal Palace and AZ Alkmaar.
Team News
Crystal Palace
The Eagles will be missing four of their key players with injuries. They are Chadi Riad, Cheick Doucoure, Caleb Kporha, and Eddie Nketiah. Meanwhile, Adam Wharton is set to be assessed before the game to confirm his availability for the fixture. The player went on to miss the league game against the Bees owing to illness.
Wharton’s availability in the midfield will mean some rotation can be used in the starting XI. Daichi Kamada, who has been instrumental for the team and has made 12 starts in 13 games, will get his much-needed break. The other spot in the midfield will be a straight-out battle between Jefferson Lerma and Will Hughes.
Borna Sosa, who got a red card in the first game, is ready for selection. He will fight with Tyrick Mitchell for a spot on the left side.
Predicted XI: Henderson; Canvot, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Sosa; Sarr, Pino; Mateta
Under the lights at Selhurst Park in the @Conf_League ✊ pic.twitter.com/Ui4VFdxUus
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) November 6, 2025
Team News
AZ Alkmaar
The Dutch side will be missing 3 players courtesy of injuries. They are Seiya Maikuma, Mexx Meerdink, and Jordy Clasie. The side will be led from their front by their ace striker, Troy Parrott, who has been in fine form.
The former Spurs player has already notched up 13 goals from 12 games and is raring to go for more. The team will hardly make any radical changes to their well-settled midfield and defense as they aim for a win away from home. Peer Koopmeiners, Sven Mijnans, and Smit will likely form the three-man midfield trio for the visitors.
Predicted XI: Owuso-Oduro; Kasius, Goes, Dekker, De Wit; Koopmeiners, Mijnans, Smit; Patati, Parrott, Jensen
Where The Match Will Be Decided
The game seems to have both teams evenly matched, but it will be the hosts who have a slight advantage over their opponents. Crystal Palace will look to exploit AZ Alkmaar from the wide areas and the second balls.
Their fast break of play and pace in the wings gives them the perfect chance to make excellent cut-ins and lay off perfect balls for their striker, Mateta, to finish. On average, Palace has been scoring 1.5 goals per game while conceding 0.9 goals per game. Another advantage for the hosts is their ability to win around 4.7 corners on average per game.
The stats are also high for the Dutch side. AZ relies on fast transitions and quick counterattacks to stun their opposition. Patati and van Brederode often make drifting runs on the final third to put the ball into the back of the net. AZ manages 1.8 goals per game on average while conceding 1.4 goals per game. They also win corners on a spree, as 6.7 corners on average per game is a testament to the same.
Match Prediction
Betting Odds: Crystal Palace (1.45), Draw (4.8), AZ Alkmaar (7) via BetMGM UK
The odds for the game are stacked against Crystal Palace, who have favorable odds of less than 1.5 to win the game.
We predict Crystal Palace 2–1 AZ Alkmaar. This is largely owing to Crystal Palace’s excellent home record, coupled with their set-piece threat and their physical prowess. But AZ can stage a comeback too, with their speedy counterattacks.
Also Read: Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv Prediction and Betting Odds: Villa Favoured to Cruise at Home
