AZ Alkmaar played well in England, but still could not hold off West Ham in the second half and lost 2-1, although West Ham could have scored a lot more in that game. And a one-goal advantage gives little to the team before the return game, which will be played away.
AZ Alkmaar will be more motivated than usual tonight, as they will need to run forward and score goals, as there is little chance of getting into the UEFA Europa League via the Eredivisie, as they are ahead of Ajax in the standings.
West Ham still look the favourites in terms of squad and are able to score goals from the counter-attack, so the visitors look preferable anyway.
Prediction: West Ham is closer to win than to lose. We recommend the “2 DNB” bet, odds 1.93
