AZ Alkmaar host Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the AFAS Stadion on October 15 in the second matchday of the Europa League league phase. AZ are seeking their first points after an opening defeat to Sunderland, while Hapoel arrive with one point from a draw against Dinamo Zagreb. The teams also enter the fixture with contrasting recent results: AZ lost at Feyenoord on October 10, whereas Hapoel won away at Ironi Tiberias on the same day. AZ’s long unbeaten home run gives them a strong basis for a response, but Hapoel’s recent form suggests this will be a demanding test.

AZ Alkmaar's Recent Form and Key Stats

AZ Alkmaar lost 2-0 away to Feyenoord in their latest match, following a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland in their Europa League opener. Across their last five games, AZ have recorded two wins, one draw and two defeats, averaging 1.0 goal scored and 1.2 conceded per match. Their European campaign therefore began without a point or a goal, adding significance to this first home fixture of the league phase.

The change of venue could make a difference. AZ have not lost in their last 17 home matches and have scored at least once in each of their last 21 at home. Their four most recent competitive home games brought three wins and a draw. Those records offer a marked contrast to the away defeats against Sunderland and Feyenoord, and give the hosts a clear route back to a positive result.

AZ’s home matches have also tended to produce goals without necessarily becoming one-sided contests: 19 of their last 20 home games featured over 1.5 total goals. At least one second-half goal was scored in 18 of those 20 matches. In UEFA home fixtures, AZ have kept four clean sheets in their last six, a record that may be particularly relevant against opponents who began their own Europa League campaign with a goalless draw.

The hosts have also avoided trailing at half-time in each of their last 17 home matches and have led at the break in their last three. That pattern points to the value of a strong start, although their recent defeats show that home form and overall form currently tell different stories. AZ’s task is to carry their established home results into a competition in which they have yet to score.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva's Recent Form and Key Stats

Hapoel Be'er Sheva arrive after a 2-0 away victory over Ironi Tiberias on October 10. They have won three of their last four matches, drawing the other, while their last five results comprise three wins, one draw and one defeat. Over that five-game stretch, Hapoel have averaged 1.2 goals scored and 0.8 conceded. Those figures give the visitors a firmer recent record than AZ heading into this meeting.

Their Europa League opener was a 0-0 draw against Dinamo Zagreb, leaving Hapoel with one point and no goals scored or conceded in the league phase so far. The broader European scoring pattern is restrained: each of their last three Europa League matches finished without a goal. That contrasts with their overall record of scoring at least once in 20 of their last 21 matches, making it difficult to judge their attacking prospects from the opening European result alone.

Hapoel’s away record offers a further qualification to their good recent form. They have won two of their last 13 away continental games and lost five of them. At the same time, they have not trailed at half-time in their last 15 away matches, with their last eight away games level at the break. At least one second-half goal has been scored in each of their last 18 away matches, so their recent trips have often changed after the interval even when the first half remained balanced.

AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be'er Sheva Match Analysis

This Europa League preview centres on a clear contrast: AZ’s home consistency against Hapoel’s stronger recent run. AZ need to recover from two away defeats in their last three matches, but a 17-game unbeaten home sequence and goals in 21 consecutive home fixtures provide substantial encouragement. Hapoel, meanwhile, have taken three wins from four games and kept AZ from claiming an obvious form advantage.

There are reasons to expect a competitive opening period. AZ have not been behind at half-time in 17 straight home games, while Hapoel have avoided trailing at the interval in 15 consecutive away matches and have drawn their last eight away first halves. Neither trend guarantees the same outcome here, but together they underline how difficult both teams have recently been to put behind early on.

The scoring evidence is more mixed. AZ have been reliable scorers at home, and Hapoel have found the net in 20 of their last 21 matches overall. Yet AZ have four clean sheets in their last six UEFA home games, while Hapoel’s last three Europa League fixtures were goalless. With both sides looking for their first goal of this league phase, the most persuasive distinction remains the venue: AZ have repeatedly secured results at home, whereas Hapoel have won only two of their last 13 away continental games.

AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be'er Sheva prediction from BetMines: AZ Alkmaar win (1) with 54% probability.