André Krul (33) surprises after adventures with a return to Young AZ

Deployment of heavily damaged AZ known; Mertens and Lozano near Napoli

Thursday, October 22, 2020 at

A severely damaged AZ starts the new season in the Europa League from 6.55 p.m. Arne Slot’s team was plagued by the corona virus in the run-up to the game, but is still taking on Napoli in the Stadio San Paolo. Slot has announced the line-up for the meeting with the top club from the Serie A, which itself will be playing with ex-Eredivisionists Dries Mertens and Hirving Lozano.

Due to the many infections in his selection, trainer Arne Slot only had nineteen players at his disposal. One of the most notable absentees is Myron Boadu, AZ’s regular striker. Because stand-in Ferdy Druijf and even the never used Thijs Oosting of Jong AZ have also tested positive, AZ does not have a striker. Slot has chosen to let Dani de Wit, actually an attacking midfielder, play in that position.

“I am not considering playing a completely different system”, the trainer said in the run-up to the match. Just like in the league game against VVV-Venlo on Saturday evening, AZ plays in a 4-3-3 formation. In the back, Pantelis Hatzidiakos is preferred over Ramon Leeuwin, who still played against VVV. In the right winger position, Yukinari plays Sugawara in place of Stengs, who will drop back and play as an attacking midfielder.

Sugawara has never been on the field as a basic player at AZ, but gets the chance because of the many absentees. Although he is actually a right wing back, he is now used by Slot as a right winger. In addition to his strikers, the trainer also does not have access to Timo Letschert, Jordy Clasie, Ron Vlaar, Zakaria Aboukhlal and reserve goalkeeper Beau Reus. Talents such as Maxim Gullit, Mo Taabouni, Tijs Velthuis and Kenzo Goudmijn are there and sit on the couch.

Setup AZ: Bizot; Svensson, Hatzidiakos, Martins Indi, Wijndal; Midtsjö, Stengs, Koopmeiners; Sugawara, De Wit, Karlsson

Napoli lineup: Meret; Hysaj, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Di Lorenzo; Lobotka, Fabián Ruiz; Politano, Mertens, Lozano; Osimhen.