AZ Alkmaar vs Anderlecht Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, predicted line-ups

AZ Alkmaar and Anderlecht meet in their UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg on Thursday 20 April.

Where to watch AZ vs Anderlecht

Fans can find their local UEFA Europa Conference League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

AZ were thwarted at every step in the first leg in Brussels, Anderlecht defending resolutely and scoring through Michael Murillo and Majeed Ashimeru.

But if 2-0 looked a comfortable lead on the night, it looks a good deal less sturdy in the face of AZ's fearsome home record: the Dutch are unbeaten in their last 24 European home matches (W16 D8) including wins in the last seven.

Anderlecht may be comforted that their opponents have not kept a clean sheet in their last eight European matches, home and away.

Predicted line-ups

AZ Alkmaar: Ryan; Sugawara, Goes, Hatzidiakos, Milos; Reijnders, Clasie; Odgaard, Mijnans, Karlsson; Pavlidis
Misses next match if booked: Bazoer, De Wit, Kerkez
Suspended: None

Anderlecht: Verbruggen; Murillo, Debast, Vertonghen, N'Diaye; Ashimeru, Diawara, Refaelov; Dreyer, Slimani, Amuzu
Misses next match if booked: Arnstad, Debast, Delcroix, Murillo, Refaelov, Slimani
Suspended: None

Form guide

AZ Alkmaar
Form (all competitions, most recent first): WLLDLW
Where they stand: 4th in Dutch Eredivisie

Anderlecht
Form (all competitions, most recent first): LWDWWW
Where they stand: 10th in Belgian First League

Expert prediction

Alyssa Saliou, match reporter
Anderlecht may not have been at their best in the first leg, but they were alert enough to seize on AZ's dip in form and needed only two flashes to take a commanding if assailable lead. Brian Riemer will know this tie still needs putting to bed – no mean feat in front of what promises to be a packed house, especially after Sunday's bruising 5-2 loss at Genk.

What the coaches say

Pascal Jansen, AZ Alkmaar coach: "Of course, we conceded two goals in the first leg. We would have preferred that it had stayed with one or that we could even score an equaliser. But we showed in the games against Lazio that we can score four goals in two games. So we have full faith that we can score the necessary goals to progress."

Brian Riemer, Anderlecht coach: "You will see the same Anderlecht as in recent months. We will keep our style and our identity despite our two-goal lead. We have already achieved some good things and we must rely on those bases to qualify."

What happens next?

The winners advance to the semi-finals where they will face the victors of the Gent vs West Ham tie. The Eden Arena in Prague, Czechia (pictured above) will host this season's Europa Conference League final on 7 June 2023.