- 1 Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar: 53 years of waiting meets 16 points out of 18
- 2 Sunderland: a European return off the back of four points from four Premier League games
- 3 AZ Alkmaar: 17 goals in six rounds and only one slip-up
- 4 Europa League prediction Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar: 53 years of waiting meets 16 points out of 18 
Sunderland play their first European game in fifty-three years on Wednesday. That number tells the story better than any tactical breakdown.
The Stadium of Light hosts the league phase on Wednesday 16 September at 21:00. The draw handed the Mackems a Dutch side in fine form.
AZ Alkmaar have picked up 16 points from a possible 18 after six Eredivisie rounds. They have scored 17 and conceded six, leaving them second behind PSV Eindhoven.
The contrast with the English side is clear. Sunderland sit 14th in the Premier League with four points from four games and just three goals scored.
But the gap in momentum does not tell the full story of a meeting between clubs from different levels. Sunderland are still a top-flight English side and they are at home.
The opening round of this 36-team league phase matters plenty for the final standings. Both teams are aiming for the top eight, the only places that guarantee a direct route to the last 16.
The league phase runs over eight rounds in one 36-team table. The top eight go straight through to the last 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th go into a playoff.
Sunderland then head to Torreense on matchday two. AZ, meanwhile, welcome Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Sunderland: a European return off the back of four points from four Premier League games 
Sunderland have four points from their first four Premier League matches, with one win, one draw and two defeats. That leaves the newly promoted side 14th in the table.
The three goals they have scored are the obvious weak spot. They have also conceded five, a negative goal difference, though nothing too ugly yet.
Last weekend showed where this team is right now. Beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, the Mackems hung in for a half before Bruno Guimaraes struck and Bukayo Saka added a penalty.
The two games before that were more encouraging. A 1-1 draw at Brentford on 5 September and a 1-0 home win over Fulham on 30 August.
The heart of the side runs through Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee, who are tasked with feeding a midfield block built on intensity. That is the sort of setup Sunderland can use to disrupt the visitors on Wednesday.
Their first defeat of the season came on 22 August, a 2-1 loss at Ipswich Town. Since the restart, the promoted side have not lost two games in a row.
Five goals conceded in four league matches is a decent return for a team fresh out of the Championship. The issue is finishing, not defensive balance.
And then there is the stadium itself. A European night not seen for more than half a century changes the mood in a ground used to regular league fare.
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AZ Alkmaar: 17 goals in six rounds and only one slip-up 
AZ Alkmaar have five wins and one draw from their six Eredivisie matches. That means 16 points from 18, no defeats, and second place in the Dutch table.
Their attack has been the standout feature: 17 goals, almost three a game. Six conceded still suggests there is some room to tighten up at the back.
Their only slip came on 11 September, a 1-1 home draw with Willem II. Jordy Clasie put them ahead in the 32nd minute before Devin Haen levelled in the 81st.
The games before that backed up their ability to score anywhere. A 3-2 win at Heerenveen on 6 September, a 5-2 home win over Go Ahead Eagles on 29 August, and a 2-0 victory at Fortuna Sittard on 22 August.
Maarten Martens has built his side around possession through Jordy Clasie and Calvin Stengs. That short-passing style will be thrown straight into the English press on Wednesday night.
The Dutch question is simple: can they live with that pressure for 90 minutes? Six goals conceded in six rounds, one per game, is tidy enough, but the Eredivisie rarely offers the kind of intensity they will face in the Premier League.
They sit just behind PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch standings. That should give them confidence, even if their hosts cannot say the same in their own league.
The move from possession to end product is their biggest strength. Seventeen goals in six rounds points to a side creating plenty, and Sunderland will have to shut that down early.
Probable Sunderland line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Probable AZ Alkmaar line-up: Not available at the time of publication.
Europa League prediction Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar
Our prediction: Both teams to score
AZ Alkmaar have scored in all six of their Eredivisie games, for a total of 17 goals. None of those matches ended with the Dutch side blanking.
Sunderland have scored in three of their four Premier League matches and are at home for a game they have been waiting 53 years for. AZ have also conceded six in six, which suggests their defence can be worked.
Both teams to score looks the play here. AZ’s attacking form and the noise around Sunderland’s long-awaited European return point in the same direction.
The risk is simple enough: Sunderland have only scored three goals in four games. But they have found the net in three of those four, and AZ have not gone goalless once this season.
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