Pascal Jansen has announced AZ’s line-up for the Conference League match against Lazio. The coach has few surprises in store for the team of coach Maurizio Sarri. Jansen makes one change compared to the Eredivisie match won against Vitesse (0-1) last Friday. Captain Jordy Clasie returns to midfield after his suspension in Arnhem. The squatter against Lazio starts at 6.45 pm and can be seen on Veronica and ESPN.
Mathew Ryan defends the Alkmaar goal. Jansen still has few flavors to choose from in his defense. Yukinari Sugawara and Milos Kerkez start as backs, while eighteen-year-old Wouter Goes and Pantelis Hatzidiakos form the heart of the Alkmaar defense. In midfield, Jansen opts for the trio Tijjani Reijnders, Clasie and Sven Mijnans. Clasie comes on for Djordje Mihailovic. In the vanguard, Jens Odgaard, Vangelis Pavlidis, Jesper Karlsson must create the necessary danger.
???????????????????? ???? ?? Forza AZ!#AZ #lazaz #UECL | @europacnfleague pic.twitter.com/8wsZMldf0I
— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) March 7, 2023
Lazio
Lazio is on the rise in Serie A. Sarri’s team has won its last three league matches, which means it is currently third. In the Conference League, the Romans hope to follow in the footsteps of arch-rival AS Roma, who won the tournament last year at the expense of Feyenoord. A major setback is the lack of Ciro Immobile. The all-time leading scorer of i Biancocelesti suffers from a thigh injury. The 33-year-old striker took part in the match against leader Napoli for ninety minutes on Friday, where Sarri’s men surprisingly won 0-1.
AZ also goes into Tuesday evening’s game with a good feeling. The team won 0-1 against Vitesse on Friday and thus keeps maximum pressure on title competitors Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV. AZ will want to prevent the scenario of Lazio’s home game against Feyenoord earlier this season. The team from Rotterdam then faced a 3-0 deficit within half an hour. Jansen already indicated that his players were applauded after Lazio was linked to the Alkmaarders. “I think that was mainly because of the size of the club,” he said.
AZ has had a full infirmary for months. Especially in the rear, the flush is thin for Jansen. Bruno Martins Indi, Sam Beukema, Zinho Vanheusden, Maxim Dekker, Dani de Wit and Riechedly Bazoer are all missing from the 21-man selection. The eighteen-year-old has fulfilled his role as a center defender well to date and has also been able to show it in Rome from the start. Youth players Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro and Mexx Meerdink have flown to Rome and can hope for playing minutes in the main force for the first time.
Lazio line-up: Maximiano; Lazzari, Patric, Casale, Marusic; Milinkovic, Cataldi, Luis Alberto; Pedro, Anderson, Zaccagni.
Setup AZ: Ryan; Sugawara, Goes, Hatzidiakos, Kerkez; Reijnders, Clasie, Mijnans; Odgaard, Pavlidis, Karlsson.