Conference League

2026-04-09 - Shakhtar Donetsk vs AZ Alkmaar

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Shakhtar Donetsk v AZ Alkmaar
Football: UEFA Conference League Quarter Final First Leg
Thursday 9th April 2026 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV

Shakhtar Donetsk

Over the last few years, Ukrainian clubs have continued to compete in European Football, but they have not been able to host matches with the war against Russia continue to rage on. For a club like Shakhtar Donetsk, the displacement from home has been going on a lot longer than for most and the Stadium built for the Euro 2012 tournament has been damaged and abandoned.

Despite having to host UEFA matches on neutral field, in recent years Shakhtar Donetsk have continued to produce positive results in those matches. This season has been more challenging with Shakhtar Donetsk winning just 3 of the 8 games hosted in the Europa League and Conference League, but they have still found a way through to the Quarter Final of the competition, while also maintaining a strong challenge to reclaim the Ukrainian title.

Shakhtar Donetsk have played 7 games in all competitions since the Winter Break and they have won 6 of those, although the exception was a 1-2 defeat to Lech Poznan in the Second Leg of the Last 16 tie in the Conference League. They still progressed 4-3 on aggregate and Shakhtar Donetsk have lost 1 of the last 12 in all competitions when hosting.

AZ Alkmaar

There is still some hope that AZ Alkmaar can put together a solid end to the Dutch domestic season and push into one of the Champions League or Europa League spots that are available in the Eredivisie. After back to back top three finishes, AZ Alkmaar have finished 5th, 4th, 4th, 5th in the Dutch top Division and are currently 6th in the standings into the first week of April.

Last year they reached the Europa League Last 16 before being beaten by eventual Winners Tottenham Hotspur and AZ Alkmaar are playing in the Knock Out Rounds of a UEFA competition for the fourth time in five seasons. They reached the Semi Final in the Conference League in 2023 before losing to another English Premier League club- West Ham United- and AZ Alkmaar have beaten Noah and Sparta Prague in the Conference League Knock Out Rounds over the last two months.

AZ Alkmaar have won 8 of the last 12 games played in all competitions, although the exceptions have all ended in defeat. The side will be confident of progressing into the Semi Final as long as they can avoid a big defeat in the First Leg, but AZ Alkmaar have suffered defeat in 4 of the last 5 games played on their travels.

Head to Head

These clubs met in the Last 16 of the 2005 UEFA Cup and AZ Alkmaar won both Legs.

The fixture hosted by Shakhtar Donetsk ended in a 1-3 defeat in the First Leg of that tie.

Prediction

Both of these teams will feel they can go all the way and win the Conference League, although they are on the tougher side of the draw and likely to be underdogs against either Crystal Palace or Fiorentina.

You have to get to the Semi Final first though and Shakhtar Donetsk and AZ Alkmaar are going to be pretty confident ahead of this Quarter Final.

The First Leg is going to be played in Krakow and the neutral field has made things very difficult for Shakhtar Donetsk- the better results in the Conference League have been earned in the away games played.

However, there should be plenty of support for Shakhtar Donetsk here and they are facing an AZ Alkmaar side who have been struggling on their travels.

The Dutch Eredivisie team have lost 3 of the 5 away ties played in the Conference League, while they have lost 4 of the last 5 on their travels in all competitions. The focus here may be to avoid a defeat with the belief that hosting will give AZ Alkmaar a big advantage and that could allow Shakhtar Donetsk to dictate the First Leg.

Shakhtar Donetsk have not been at their best when hosting UEFA ties on neutral field this season, but it does feel like a factor that 2 of the defeats suffered have been in Krakow against Polish teams. Those opponents will not have had to travel in the same manner as the other 6 teams that Shakhtar Donetsk have 'hosted' and it is telling that they are unbeaten in those matches.

It is a Quarter Final that is likely going to be decided in the Netherlands next week, but Shakhtar Donetsk look a decent team to back to have some kind of lead to protect against this poor travelling AZ Alkmaar side.