ALKMAAR PREVIEW
The time has come, European football returns to the City of Sunderland for the first time in 53 years and we can’t wait. Last season’s seventh placed finish gave us automatic qualification for the league phase of the UEFA Europa League where the Lads will be hoping for either a top eight finish for automatic qualification for the knockout stages or a ninth to sixteenth placed for a play-off for the same stage.
These are the nights we have dreamed about, tonight sees that dream become reality.
OUR OPPONENTS
Our visitors on this historic night in SR5 are AZ Alkmaar from the Eredivisie in the Netherlands, and they will present another huge test for the Lads as they continue their evolution from League One side in 2021-22 to where we are now. AZ are an established name in Dutch football, and in European football qualification. In fact, they have played European club football consistently since 2015-16 which is a record to be proud of.
AZ reached the Final of the old UEFA Cup in 1981, losing that 5-4 on aggregate to a Bobby Robson managed Ipswich Town that had future Lads player Eric Gates, and also Terry Butcher who managed us between January and November 1993. A third link between the sides is Dick Advocaat who lasted all of 19 matches in SR5 in 2015, but had two spells in Alkmaar before arriving on Wearside.
This season so far, the Cheese Farmers as they are nicknamed, they have made a very strong start. AZ currently sit in second, trailing leaders PSV solely on goal difference. Our opponents have goalscorers through their team so we will need to concentrate fully when they are on the attack. It’s interesting to also note that they have a combative centre half in the shape of Wouter Goes, so to see him go up against “Big Bad Bri” is going to be interesting to say the least.
THE LADS
Saturday night’s loss against the Champions Arsenal stung a lot as the Lads put in a shift that had Mikel Arteta’s men worried on a number of occasions. But if the Lads can put in a performance that has their collective heart and spirit, then AZ could be in for a surprise of their own. We all know that the Lads will not bend to anyone, they will go right “’til the end” as the mantra says.
As regards the squad, I’m expecting very little changes by RLB. I think the side will be unchanged but with a possible formation tweak, wing backs might be deployed:
Roefs
Meunier – Danso – Mukiele – Ballard – Reinildo
Xhaka – Sadiki – Angulo
Le Fée
Brobbey
THE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE
The man in charge of the game will be RLB’s fellow countryman, Jérémie Pignard. 39 year old Pignard, according to TransferMarkt, is a bit card happy, having issued 492 yellow cards in the French top division since 2019 and 38 red cards. He’s also awarded 49 penalties. So, discipline is going to be key if we are to get something from it.
