AZ Alkmaar have the chance to climb into second place in the Eredivisie when they host struggling PEC Zwolle at the AFAS Stadion on Wednesday in a rearranged match from gameweek three. The Cheese Farmers head into the clash buoyed by Sunday’s dramatic 3-3 draw against champions Feyenoord, a result that preserved their unbeaten start and showcased their attacking strength. Twice taking the lead, AZ looked set for a tough defeat before Mexx Meerdink converted a 98th-minute penalty to salvage a point. That late equaliser not only extended their unbeaten run at home to seven league games but also underlined their resilience in big moments. Maarten Martens’s side have been prolific at Alkmaar in recent months, scoring three or more goals in their last four home league fixtures, with big wins against Heerenveen and Groningen and a narrow 3-2 triumph over Twente. Given PEC’s form and history in this matchup, home supporters will expect another high-scoring display.

PEC Zwolle, meanwhile, enter this fixture in freefall. Henry van der Vegt’s team have lost three straight league games against Utrecht, Ajax, and local rivals Go Ahead Eagles, failing to find the net in their last two and conceding seven in the process. The Blauwvingers sit in 13th place, and their trip to Alkmaar hardly inspires confidence considering their dreadful record in this fixture. PEC’s last win against AZ in Alkmaar came all the way back in December 1992, when both sides were playing in the second tier, and they have gone 33 years without success away to the Cheese Farmers. Even more concerning is the fact that they have not beaten AZ at all since April 2019, losing three of the last four meetings.

Team selection adds to PEC’s concerns. Jamiro Monteiro is suspended after his early red card against Go Ahead Eagles, while Odysseus Velanas and Jasper Schendelaar remain sidelined with injuries. Koen Kostons, who has scored twice this season, struggled in their recent derby defeat and will be under pressure to deliver more in attack. For AZ, the absences of Troy Parrott and Seiya Maikuma are mitigated by the excellent form of Meerdink, who has been directly involved in three goals across his last two appearances. Martens will hope his young striker can extend that streak and maintain AZ’s scoring rhythm at home.

All signs point toward a comfortable night for the hosts. PEC’s lack of cutting edge, combined with their historical struggles in this fixture and AZ’s blistering attacking record at the AFAS Stadion, makes an upset highly unlikely.

阿兹阿尔克马尔有机会在周三的AFAS球场迎战处境艰难的兹沃勒，他们将在第三周的比赛中重新安排一场比赛。奶酪农民队在周日戏剧性地以3-3战平冠军费耶诺德的比赛中受到鼓舞，这场比赛保持了他们的不败开局，并展示了他们的进攻实力。在梅尔丁克在第98分钟的点球中扳回一分之前，阿斯利亚队两次领先，似乎注定要遭遇一场惨败。最后阶段的扳平不仅让他们的主场不败纪录延长到了7场，也凸显了他们在关键时刻的韧性。近几个月来，马滕的球队在阿尔克马尔表现出色，在最近的四场主场比赛中打进了三个或更多的进球，分别大胜希芬恩和格罗宁根，并以3比2险胜特温特。鉴于PEC在这场比赛中的状态和历史，主场支持者将期待另一个高分展示。

与此同时，PEC Zwolle以自由落体的方式进入这个固定装置。亨利·范德维格的球队在联赛中接连三场输给了乌得勒支、阿贾克斯和当地的竞争对手“前进之鹰”，在最近两场比赛中都未能进球，并在此过程中丢了7球。蓝刺队排在第13位，考虑到他们在这场比赛中的糟糕战绩，他们对阿尔克马尔的客场之旅很难激发人们的信心。PEC上一次在阿尔克马尔战胜AZ要追溯到1992年12月，当时双方都在乙级联赛，他们已经33年没有在奶酪农民队取得胜利了。更令人担忧的是，自2019年4月以来，他们根本没有击败过阿斯利康，在最近四场比赛中输掉了三场。

团队选择增加了PEC的担忧。在对阵鹰队的比赛中，蒙泰罗因红牌被禁赛，而维拉纳斯和申德拉尔则因伤缺阵。本赛季梅开二度的科斯顿斯在最近的德比失利中表现不佳，他将在进攻端承受更多的压力。对于AZ来说，特洛伊·帕罗特和星宫·麦库马的缺席被梅尔丁克的出色表现所抵消，梅尔丁克在最近两场比赛中直接贡献了三个进球。马滕斯希望他的年轻前锋能够延续这一势头，并在主场保持阿斯兰的进球节奏。

所有迹象都表明，东道主将度过一个舒适的夜晚。PEC缺乏锋线优势，再加上他们在这场比赛中的历史挣扎，以及AZ在AFAS球场的火爆进攻记录，使得他们不太可能翻盘。