AZ – West Ham United

London club will not be able to beat a tough opponent again

The first semi-final match of the week between West Ham United and AZ Alkmaar was quite entertaining. The visiting Dutch club came into the London arena as the underdogs in the encounter, but started the encounter with more than confidence. On 41 minutes, midfielder Rijnders netted his first goal in four months to sensationally put the visitors ahead. In the second half, West Ham came out on exactly the level of play that the fans had expected to see from the opening minutes. "The Hammers created a number of chances, two of which were converted midway through the half, nine minutes apart. Despite the final 1-2 defeat, the players from AZ Alkmaar left the field not being upset, as things could have ended more disastrously for them. Janssen's men now have the chance to decide the Conference League finalist in the comfort of their own backyard. The bookmakers are undecided on the favourite for the return leg, offering only a slight tilt in the odds toward the visitors. West Ham have already solved the key issue in the Premier League related to retaining their place in the division. As such, Sunday's defeat to Brentford will not particularly affect the players' mood. Another thing is that the Hammers have not been doing well away all season. If you consider the last couple of months, West Ham have lost six of their ten games away from home, beating only three clubs, including the humble Bournemouth and AEK Larnaca. AZ Alkmaar, in some ways, managed to surprise their rivals in London, although their capabilities seemed to be well known to the Hammers. Janssen's side destroyed Emmen in the Eredivisie on Sunday, scoring five goals in the first half already. The win allowed AZ to stay in third place in the league, one point ahead of Ajax Amsterdam. In half a dozen home games this year, the Alkmaar side have lost just once. Their opponent was the modest Sparta. If in that case it was a question of underestimating the opponents, the upcoming game will certainly not be the case. The home side will not lose.