Preview: SBV Excelsior vs. AZ Alkmaar - prediction, team news, lineups

Meanwhile, the home side will be looking to make it back to back victories having recorded their first win in five matches last time out.

Match preview

AZ Alkmaar suffered a first league defeat of the season on Sunday when they were beaten 3-1 by Feyenoord in the sides' meeting at the AFAS Stadion.

Pascal Jansen's men took the lead thanks to Jens Odgaard before goals from Orkun Kokcu, Sebastian Szymanski and Danilo turned the game on its head.

Consequently, the Cheeseheads have dropped to fourth place in the Eredivisie table and are now two points adrift of division leaders Ajax.

Awaiting them next is the challenge of an opposing outfit with a pretty even record in the most recent editions of this fixture, as the last nine clashes have yielded three wins for either team and three draws.

Having seen their seven-game winning streak on the road recently come to an end, Sunday's visitors now set out to return to winning ways away from home as soon as possible.

Excelsior saw off the threat of Maastricht to move into the next round of the KNVB-Beker following an emphatic 5-1 victory on Wednesday evening.

Reda Kharchouch and Lazaros Lamprou were the stars of the show for Marinus Dijkhuizen's men, scoring two goals apiece while Marouan Azarkan also got in on the act.

Just before that, the Kralingers were on the receiving end of a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Ajax and currently sit 12th in the league standings.

With just two points separating them from the drop zone, Sunday's hosts go in search of a much-needed victory to help move clear of relegation danger.

SBV Excelsior Eredivisie form:

L

W

L

L

D

L

AZ Alkmaar Eredivisie form:

W

D

W

W

W

L

AZ Alkmaar form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

L

L

Team News

Vangelis Pavlidis remains out of contention for AZ Alkmaar owing to a leg injury, while Zinho Vanheusden misses out through a foot problem.

The away side will also be without Norway international Hakon Evjen, who is set to miss an eighth match on the bounce with an ankle problem.

Bruno Martins Indi has sat out each of the last four games due to a muscle problem, but he is drawing increasingly closer to a return to action.

Excelsior's Yassine Ayoub was forced off with a first-half injury against NEC Nijmegen, and the 28-year-old is not expected to play any part on Sunday.

Sven Nieuwpoort is a guaranteed absentee for the home side this weekend as the defender continues his spell on the treatment table due to a knee injury.

SBV Excelsior possible starting lineup:

Van Gassel; Tjoe, Seymor, El Yaakoubi, Horemans, Markelo; Van Duinen, Goudmijn, Baas, Driouech; Kharchouch

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:

Verhulst; Chatzidiakos, Beukema, Dekker, Kerkez; Reijnders, De Wit, Clasie; Sugawara, Odgaard, Karlsson

We say: SBV Excelsior 1-3 AZ Alkmaar

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