AZ Alkmaar vs Shakhtar Donetsk Preview & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Conference League | Quarter-Final
by Alex Lawes ·
Updated
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AZ Alkmaar need another second-leg special as the Dutch outfit seek to overthrow an impressive Shakhtar Donetsk side in the Netherlands on Thursday.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – HBO Max / USA – Paramount+
Key stats
- Prior to this tie, the only UEFA meetings between Shakhtar and AZ came in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 16, where AZ won 5-2 on aggregate, winning 3-1 in Donetsk and 2-1 in Alkmaar.
- AZ Alkmaar have won both of their previous UEFA two‑legged ties against Ukrainian opposition — 5-2 on aggregate against Shakhtar in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup round of 16, and 4-0 against FC Mariupol in the 2019/20 Europa League third qualifying round. They also faced Dynamo Kyiv in a one‑off Champions League third qualifying round tie in 2020/21, losing 2-0 away.
- This is AZ Alkmaar’s seventh UEFA quarter‑final, and their second in the UEFA Conference League, having reached this stage most recently in 2022/23 when they defeated Anderlecht on penalties.
- AZ Alkmaar have won 13 of their last 15 UEFA two-legged ties.
- AZ Alkmaar won the second leg in their five previous UEFA two-legged ties this season with 18 goals scored and only one conceded.
- AZ Alkmaar are unbeaten in their last 15 UEFA home matches with 13 wins and two draws.
- AZ Alkmaar have lost both previous UEFA two‑legged ties in which they were beaten by a three‑goal margin in the first leg. One of those defeats came away from home — a 3-0 loss to Ipswich in the first leg of the 1981 UEFA Cup final, before winning the second leg 4-2.
- Shakhtar have lost all three of their previous UEFA two‑legged ties against Dutch teams.
- Shakhtar are appearing in their sixth UEFA quarter‑final, having previously reached the last eight in the Cup Winners’ Cup, the UEFA Cup/Europa League (one UEFA Cup and two Europa League campaigns), and the UEFA Champions League.
- Shakhtar have won their last two UEFA quarter‑final ties — 6-1 on aggregate against Braga in the 2015/16 Europa League, and 4-1 against Basel in their single‑leg tie in the 2019/20 Europa League.
- Shakhtar are the first Ukrainian team in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League.
- Shakhtar have lost only two of their 17 UEFA games this season (W10 D5).
- Shakhtar are unbeaten in their eight UEFA away matches this season (W6 D2), winning each of the last five. Note: these refer to fixtures in which they were designated as the away team.
- Shakhtar have won all eight previous UEFA two‑legged ties in which they carried a three‑goal lead into the second leg.
AZ Alkmaar vs Shakhtar Donetsk prediction
The first-leg of this UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final tie saw Shakhtar Donetsk hammer AZ Alkmaar by three goals to nil with a strike from Pedrinho and then a brace from Alisson Santana at the Henryk-Reyman Stadium in Krakow last week.
The Ukrainians have surpassed expectations, given the situation that they are dealing with off the pitch, as they take on an AZ side that did return to domestic action with an impressive 3-0 hammering of Heerenveen at the weekend.
AZ have been strong this season and, with home advantage, will fancy themselves to take the game to Shakhtar here with a high-scoring affair seeming a good bet at the AFAS Stadion.
AZ Alkmaar vs Shakhtar Donetsk tip: Over 2.5 goals
