AZ’s Stunning Journey Leads Them to Face Tottenham Hotspur in Europa League Round of 16

Having secured their progression to the round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League, AZ Alkmaar will be keen to maintain their strong European performance when they travel to England.

The Eredivisie outfit, currently sitting fifth in the league, showcased their skills against Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray, achieving a 4-1 victory at home and managing a commendable 2-2 draw away in Istanbul.

This marks AZ’s first appearance in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 since the 2013/14 campaign, where they will take on Tottenham Hotspur.

In their most recent encounter in October, AZ faced off against Tottenham, narrowly falling 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to a penalty converted by Richarlison.

In the draw held last Friday, AZ bypassed a matchup against Manchester United. The two teams have previously clashed twice in the 2019/20 Europa League season — a 0-0 stalemate in Alkmaar was followed by a 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

Despite their struggles this season, with Tottenham currently languishing in 12th place in the Premier League, they successfully finished fourth in the UEFA Europa League group stage, securing their spot in the round of 16.

This tie will see Troy Parrott, a former Tottenham academy graduate, go up against the club where he spent seven years before his permanent move to AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2024. The Irish striker featured in four matches for Spurs during the 2019/20 season before embarking on several loan spells at Millwall, Ipswich Town, MK Dons, Preston North End, and Dutch club Excelsior.

AZ Alkmaar and Tottenham Hotspur will contest their round of 16 ties on March 6 and 13, commencing with the first leg in Alkmaar before the decisive fixture takes place in North London.