Tottenham Hotspur host AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday, hoping to overturn the 1-0 defeat from the Netherlands last week.
After the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Sunday, Tottenham now shift their focus back to the Europa League, where they face their biggest challenge of the season so far.
Ange Postecoglou’s side need to turn around a 1-0 deficit from the first leg, knowing that anything less than a win will see them crash out of Europe.
What time does Tottenham Hotspur vs AZ Alkmaar kick off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Date: Thursday 13th March 2025
- Kick-off Time: 6 pm BST
- Referee: João Pinheiro
- VAR: Tiago Martin
How both Tottenham and AZ Alkmaar go into the second leg
Tottenham avoided three defeats in a row with their comeback 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, despite being two goals down at the hour mark. It wasn’t the most convincing display, but it certainly adds to the players’ confidence if compared to heading into such an important game on the back of three straight losses.
Before that was the 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar, where Lucas Bergvall’s own goal proved to be the difference. A week prior, they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City. That display was far more encouraging despite the similar scoreline to AZ’s.
This time, the visitors have had the privilege of a full week’s rest to prepare for this fixture. AZ Alkmaar postponed their Eredivisie clash with RKC Waalwijk, which was originally scheduled for this weekend.
The Dutch side stunned the visitors in the first leg last Thursday. While the scoreline remained tight, they could have added more goals had they taken their chances. Before the first leg, they suffered a 3-1 defeat to SC Heerenveen, their only loss in the last eight games.
Tottenham Hotspur team news
Ange Postecoglou confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Kevin Danso is the latest absentee. The January signing suffered a muscle injury against Bournemouth, meaning he will now miss his first game since his arrival. He joins Dejan Kulusevski on the sidelines, who is also out until after the international break.
Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are thankfully both back and ready just in time. Romero played 60 minutes on Sunday before Van de Ven replaced him. Ange should be happy to have eased them both into the pitch rather than pushing them straight into such an important fixture. Ben Davies is nearing a return but won’t be in contention to start.
Radu Dragusin and Richarlison miss out through injury, while Rodrigo Bentancur serves a suspension after his yellow card in the first leg. Timo Werner, Antonin Kinsky, and Sergio Reguilon also sit out, as Spurs didn’t register them for the knockout rounds.
AZ Alkmaar team news
The Dutch side have had a couple of fresh injury concerns since the first leg. Denso Kasius is ruled out, while Mayckel Lahdo is a doubt.
Sven Mijnans, Sam Westerveld, Jayden Addai, and Ruben van Bommel are also absent. However, apart from Mijnans, the rest are closing in on returns.
Predicted Tottenham lineup vs AZ Alkmaar
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Bergvall, Gray, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
It feels odd but nice to finally type Van de Ven and Romero’s names next to each other in this section. If Spurs lead by more than two goals around the 70th minute, expect Ben Davies and Yves Bissouma to come on, with Archie Gray shifting into the backline. A 90-minute outing might be too much for Romero and Van de Ven just yet.
Speaking of Gray, this might finally be the day we see him in his natural No.6 role. The teenager was rested against Bournemouth, while Pape Matar Sarr played the full 90. The Senegalese was arguably Spurs’ best performer on the day, but Bergvall has been more consistent in recent weeks.
Postecoglou subbed off Bissouma at half-time after yet another underwhelming display against Bournemouth. That explains he will certainly not want to risk playing someone low on confidence in such an important fixture.
Up front, Mathys Tel could get the nod over Dominic Solanke, who played the full 90 against his former club at the weekend.
Our tactical insights into the second leg vs AZ Alkmaar
AZ were tactically far superior last week and are unlikely to change their approach. Spurs, however, have no other choice but to adapt. We spent the last few days analysing what went wrong for Spurs in the first leg, and here’s what we were able to find:
AZ Alkmaar’s pressing is a danger for Spurs
Perhaps the biggest takeaway and the most concerning for Spurs was Alkmaar’s relentless pressing and man-marking. On paper, both teams lined up in a 4-2-3-1, so how did AZ press so effectively?
A look at their average positions shows their shape was more of a 2-4-4 in possession, with only three players staying behind the halfway mark. Out of possession, they shifted into a disciplined 4-4-2 with a strict, parallel ‘chain-like’ structure. Compare that to Spurs, whose somewhat 2-3-2-3 shape left them too spread out, making it easier for AZ to bypass the press.
The key was their ‘parallel marking’. Two players pressing ahead, two covering behind, always in sync. This made Spurs look clueless. Meanwhile, Postecoglou’s layered formation was too easily broken. AZ simply had to play it wide and then recycled it centrally if a Spurs full-back or midfielder tracked back.
One solution could be that Spurs can try and reduce the gaps between the layers in their formation. Removing layers entirely wouldn’t be sensible when 1-0 down. But tightening the gaps will limit AZ’s options in the final third and make it harder for them to spot runs.
Tottenham need to break down AZ Alkmaar’s defence
Alkmaar’s defensive transition into a compact 4-4-2 made Spurs’ attack toothless despite their possession. Whenever Spurs took risks, AZ either fouled or intercepted before quickly switching back to their 2-4-4 counter-attacking shape.
The only way to beat this kind of disciplined defensive structure? The wingers must take on their man. Son and Brennan Johnson cannot afford to keep playing it safe, recycling possession and waiting for someone else to create an opening. This has been one of Spurs’ biggest talking points recently.
AZ weren’t particularly great at intercepting passes either. They robbed Spurs of possession 10 times, often in dangerous areas. But the reason for that could also be due to the loose first touches by the Spurs players. However, according to Football.London’s Alasdair Gold, the players were spotted working on their first touches and pressing drills at Hotspur Way yesterday.
If Tottenham can press better, avoid sloppy touches, and get their wingers to be more aggressive, they stand a far better chance of turning this tie around.
Key players to watch
- Djed Spence & Pedro Porro. – Spence was so good in the first leg that Alkmaar resorted to fouling him repeatedly, making him the most fouled player on the pitch. Porro, meanwhile, had a strong game against Bournemouth despite his misplaced pass leading to their opener. If the wingers start taking on defenders, these two could thrive.
- Troy Parrott. – The former Spurs striker caused all sorts of problems last week, creating two big chances (more than the entire Tottenham squad combined). But he also squandered two himself. He’ll face a much tougher challenge against Romero and Van de Ven than he did against 19-year-old Archie Gray and Kevin Danso.
Our prediction
The Premier League is gone. The Carabao Cup was lost in the dying moments. An easy FA Cup route was thrown away. If Postecoglou still wants to prove his famous or rather regrettable quote, “I always win things in my second season”, then this is his last chance.
When you return home for the second leg trailing 1-0 at this stage of the competition, especially after a disappointing first leg, it gives you an extra boost to emerge as the underdog winners.
The last time Spurs took a 1-0 deficit home in a European competition (vs AC Milan in 2022/23 UCL), it ended 0-0 and the manager (Antonio Conte) sacked. Spurs aren’t in a much different situation now, as Ange Postecoglou is under more pressure than ever from the fans.
However, the last time Spurs took a 1-0 deficit against a Dutch side (vs Ajax in the 18/19 UCL), they went 2-0 down in the first half – and the rest, as they say, is history.
AZ have lost all nine of their previous games in England. Make it ten. COYS!
Predicted score: Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 AZ Alkmaar