Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar – Line-ups, stats and preview

Match preview for Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar

Tottenham have got work to do when they host AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Spurs find themselves 1-0 down on aggregate to their Dutch opponents and will need to overturn the deficit in North London if they are to keep their hopes of silverware alive.

Lucas Bergvall scored an own goal in the reverse fixture but he will be hoping to score at the other end and help his side book a quarter-final place against Ajax or Frankfurt.

It is no understatement to say this is the most important game of Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham career – and there is a big chance he loses his job if Spurs go out.

After finishing fourth in the league phase, there is a clear path to the final in Bilbao for the Premier League side but they are going to need to be much better than they were last week.

Spurs staged a comeback at home to Bournemouth on Saturday but were lucky to get anything out of the game considering their performance.

They remain 10 points off the top eight, meaning if they are to secure a path into Europe next season, the only way to do that will be winning this competition.

AZ Alkmaar ended their 10-game winless run against English sides last week, but they remain big outsiders in this tie.

However, they were given the weekend off from Eredivisie duties to focus on this match and they are capable considering they knocked out Turkish giants Galatasaray in the play-offs.

Gearing up for the @EuropaLeague ⚙️ pic.twitter.com/aDOkM38oOS

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 11, 2025

Team news for Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar

There are a few key absences for Tottenham heading into the match.

Rodrigo Bentancur picked up a yellow card in the first leg and will be suspended for the game, while Kevin Danso is also out with a hamstring injury.

Richarlison is close to returning, but this game will come too soon for the Brazilian forward.

Dejan Kulusevski is also missing as he continues to manage a foot injury.

Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke all came through the Bournemouth game and are in line to start together for the first time in 2025.

Mayckel Lahdo was forced off early in the first leg for AZ Alkmaar, while Denso Kasius – his replacement – also hobbled off in the match.

Sven Mijnans and Ruben van Bommel are also on the sidelines, as are Jayden Addai and Mexx Meerdink.

Expected line-ups for Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar

Tottenham: Vicario; Spence, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie; Bergvall, Gray, Maddison; Odobert, Solanke, Son

AZ Alkmaar: Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Clasie, Buurmeester, Koopmeiners; Poku, Parrott, Sadiq

https://twiter.com/AZAlkmaar/status/1899829548604101058

How to watch Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar: TV channel, online stream

Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar will kick-off at 20:00 on Thursday evening and is available to watch on TNT Sports 3. Fans in the UK can also stream the game on the discovery+ app.

The Stats for Tottenham v AZ Alkmaar