AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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AZ Alkmaar

vs

Hapoel Be'er Sheva

KickoffThursday 15 October 2026, 5:45pm

VenueAFAS Stadion Alkmaar

CompetitionUEFA Europa League

There is something genuinely compelling about two clubs arriving at a Thursday night Europa League fixture both looking over their shoulders at a disappointing start. Neither AZ Alkmaar nor Hapoel Be’er Sheva got what they wanted from matchday one, and that shared frustration gives this game a real edge. The Dutch side will be hurting after losing their long unbeaten run, and the Israeli outfit are playing their European football without a home ground to call their own. Both need a result. That tension usually makes for a good watch.

There is also the curiosity of watching how a team adapts when every continental game is effectively an away fixture. Hapoel Be’er Sheva have been forced to play all their European matches at neutral venues due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which strips away any sense of a safe environment. How they respond to that unusual challenge, especially against a side with genuine quality on their own turf, is one of the more interesting subplots of the night.

AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva Match Details

The fixture takes place at AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar, with both sides competing in the Europa League league phase. AZ come into this as the home side in name and in fact, playing on familiar ground in front of their own supporters, while the Camels must travel without any of the advantages that home comforts typically provide in continental football.

Team News

AZ have a few absentees to manage but nothing that should derail their plans significantly. Hapoel have some welcome reinforcements returning just in time.

• Jizz Hornkamp is ruled out for AZ alongside Kees Smit and Stije Resink, with Resink’s absence the most significant given the ACL injury keeping him sidelined long term.
• Ro-Zangelo Daal has gone three games without a goal or assist, which will be a concern for Leeroy Echteld even if the winger keeps his place.
• Dan Biton misses out for Hapoel Be’er Sheva due to a heart issue, with the midfielder’s availability timeline still unclear.
• Djibril Diop and Eliel Peretz are both back in the fold for the visitors after serving one-match bans following their red cards against Sabah.

Predicted Lineups

Echteld looks likely to keep faith with a setup that has served them well domestically, though he will be hoping Mexx Meerdink and Valdemar Byskov can inject some creativity after a recent dip in output from the attacking unit. Jordy Clasie provides the experience and composure in midfield, and with home advantage to lean on, expect AZ to push numbers forward early.

AZ Alkmaar: De Busser; Dijkstra, Goes, Schouten, Chavez; Clasie, Koopmeiners; Oufkir, Byskov, Daal; Meerdink

For Ran Kozuch, getting Diop back into the back line is a genuine boost, and Peretz returning in midfield adds a player who has been directly involved in more goals than anyone else at the club this season. The Camels will likely look to stay compact and hit on the counter, knowing that chasing the game against a Dutch side at home is not where they want to be.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva: Marciano; Mizrahi, Diop, Vitor, Amador; Amankwah, Ventura, Peretz; East, Zlatanovic, Victor

Recent Form

AZ had been in remarkable shape before things started to unravel slightly. A 19-match unbeaten run across all competitions was the foundation they carried into European football this season, which made the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on matchday one feel like a proper jolt. That loss at the Stadium of Light was the first time in a long while that Echteld’s side had come away with nothing, and the timing was not ideal heading into a stretch of important fixtures.

Back in the Eredivisie, AZ drew 1-1 with Willem II before beating Telstar 1-0 to briefly go top of the table. But a weekend trip to De Kuip ended in a 2-0 defeat to Feyenoord, which knocked them off the summit and left them level with PSV Eindhoven in joint second. So we are talking about a team that has won one of their last four across all competitions. They are not in crisis, not even close, but the edge they had earlier in the campaign has softened a touch.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva come in off the back of a goalless draw with Dinamo Zagreb, which came on the heels of that brutal 5-2 defeat to Sabah in the playoff round. That hammering is what cost them a Champions League spot, and the defensive frailties exposed in that game have not been forgotten. Their qualification campaign did show enough quality to win four out of six matches, so they are not a pushover, but the defensive side of their game in continental football has been worrying at times.

Head-to-Head Record

AZ and Hapoel Be’er Sheva have not met often enough to establish a meaningful pattern between the two clubs. This is a relatively fresh matchup at European level, and as such there is not a deep well of historical encounters to draw conclusions from. What we can say is that AFAS Stadion has been a fortress for AZ over the past eight months, with 16 home matches passing without defeat since a 3-1 loss to NEC back in January. That is a significant streak and one that Hapoel will need to break if they are going to take anything from Alkmaar tonight.

Key Stats

• AZ are unbeaten in their last 16 home matches across all competitions, a run stretching back to January.
• Hapoel Be’er Sheva conceded five goals in a single European fixture against Sabah this season, highlighting genuine defensive vulnerabilities on the continent.
• Eliel Peretz leads Hapoel’s scoring charts with two league goals and an assist, making him the most directly threatening player in their squad going forward.

AZ Alkmaar vs Hapoel Be’er Sheva Betting Tips

The headline angle here is fairly straightforward. AZ have a formidable home record, they are due a response after back-to-back losses across different competitions, and they are facing a side that has looked shaky defensively in Europe this season. The value is in backing the Dutch side to win and win well, but there are a few interesting markets within that broader prediction worth picking apart.

Cards Prediction

This has the feel of a game where frustration could creep in for the visiting side if AZ get on top early. Hapoel had two players sent off against Sabah, which points to a side that can lose discipline under pressure, and a European tie away from home against a technically superior outfit could bring that edge out again. Back over three cards in the match.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Mexx Meerdink is the pick here. He leads the line for AZ and with the home side expected to dominate possession and create chances in the final third, a centre forward playing behind a team that commits numbers forward is in a great position to get on the scoresheet. If AZ are going to put this to bed early, Meerdink is the most likely to open the account.

Corners Prediction

AZ play an attacking, high-tempo style at home and Hapoel will likely spend large portions of this match defending deep. That combination tends to generate a decent volume of corners as the home side look to work openings. Back over nine corners in the match.

Correct Score Prediction

AZ 3-1 Hapoel Be’er Sheva. The home side’s attacking quality should be enough to build a comfortable lead, but Hapoel have shown enough going forward at times this season to nick one back and avoid a clean sheet for the Dutch side.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

Given AZ’s intent at home, the defensive vulnerabilities Hapoel have shown in European football this campaign, and both teams needing to push for a positive result, this game has the ingredients for goals at both ends. Over 2.5 is the play, and honestly over 3.5 is worth a look at the right price.

Bet Builder Tip

AZ’s home dominance combined with Hapoel’s tendency to concede while still carrying a goal threat of their own makes this combination a logical fit.

Final Match Prediction

AZ Alkmaar have too much quality at home to let this one slip, and the motivation to respond after recent defeats should sharpen their performance considerably. The 16-match unbeaten home run is not a coincidence, it reflects a side that genuinely knows how to control games at AFAS Stadion, and Hapoel Be’er Sheva, for all their resilience, have shown enough defensive frailty in Europe this season to suggest they will be punished.

Hapoel will not lie down, and with Peretz back in the team they have a genuine creative threat, but the gulf in quality and home advantage should tell. AZ to win this one comfortably. Predicted score: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

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