AZ Alkmaar host Hapoel Beer Sheva in Europa League matchday 2
AZ Alkmaar face Hapoel Beer Sheva at the AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar on Thursday as the Europa League league stage reaches its second matchday.
The Dutch side go into the fixture with a mixed recent run of two wins, one draw and two losses, while Hapoel Beer Sheva arrive having won three of their last five, with one draw and one defeat, giving the Israeli club a slightly better recent record coming into this meeting.
Form and context
AZ Alkmaar's results have swung from one match to the next, with wins either side of a loss, a draw and another defeat in their last five outings, suggesting a side still searching for consistency as the competition develops.
Hapoel Beer Sheva, by contrast, head into the match on the back of a stronger recent sequence, having claimed three victories in their last five games, which edges them ahead of their hosts on current form heading into this European test.