The UEFA Europa Conference League playoff first leg sees Dutch side AZ Alkmaar take on Portuguese club Gil Vicente at the AFAS Stadium in Alkmaar. AZ will be looking to continue their fine start to the 2022/23 campaign, as two wins from two to open the Eredivisie along with three wins from four Conference League qualifiers gives Pascal Jansen’s side a 5-0-1 combined record to start the season. The Cheeseheads advanced to this stage of the competition thanks to a stellar 7-0 home demolition against Dundee United in the return leg of the previous round. AZ continued their goal scoring exploits in their most recent outing, coming from behind to ultimately secure a 3-2 away victory against Sparta Rotterdam.
On the other side, Gil Vicente have seen a decent start to their new season as well. The Gilistas are 2-1-1 in all competitions but will be hoping to respond strongly after suffering a 1-0 away defeat at the hands of Arouca in the first match of the Primeira Liga season. It was an unlucky result for Gi Vicente, as their play warranted at least a point from the match. The visitors will certainly have their hands full in this encounter and this looks to be a potentially very dangerous spot for the Portuguese side given how strong Alkmaar has looked so far in the young season. The hosts were phenomenal at the AFAS Stadium in the 2021/22 season, racking up 13 wins, three draws and three defeats on home soil putting them only a point behind leaders Ajax for the best home record in the division.