Ararat-Armenia welcome AZ Alkmaar to the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium for a Group stage clash in the UEFA Europa League, kick-off 17:45 BST on Thursday 22 October 2026. The Armenian side chase their first points after a difficult group start, while AZ arrive with three points and the confidence of a home win in the competition already under their belt. This fixture presents a contrast between Ararat-Armenia’s porous European defensive record so far and AZ’s steadier if uneven continental campaign. Both teams carry domestic form into the week, which will shape how they approach this encounter in Yerevan.

Ararat-Armenia

Ararat-Armenia’s European ledger is blunt: two Group matches, no points, and a heavy goals-against figure that has left them bottom of their section. Their 1-4 home reverse to Sparta Praha stands out as a particular warning sign — that result doubled as evidence the team have struggled to contain sustained pressure at this level, and it is the main reason they arrive in this match needing to change the narrative fast.

Domestically the picture is less bleak. Recent Premier League outings include a 1-0 away win at BKMA and a 3-0 home victory over Syunik, plus a 1-1 draw with Alashkert, suggesting the side can produce results and score regularly against Armenian opponents. Those league performances show the squad can regroup after setbacks, and the win away at BKMA three days before this tie implies a group moving through fixtures with some resilience rather than freefall.

Home form carries a double-edged quality: while Ararat-Armenia have produced domestic clean sheets and victories at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, that same ground hosted the 1-4 European defeat to Sparta Praha. The club’s ability to recreate their domestic defensive solidity in European matches is unproven, and the group table underlines the urgency — they must arrest a leaky defence and find the goals that have come more readily in Armenia if they are to make this a contest.

AZ Alkmaar

AZ arrive having already secured three Europa League points, a fact that gives them a foothold in the group. Their 2-1 home victory over Hapoel Beer Sheva demonstrated they can win the crucial moments in European ties, while the earlier 0-1 loss at Sunderland shows they remain vulnerable on the road in this competition. Overall, AZ’s continental results to date suggest a team capable of progression but not yet consistent across different settings.

In the Eredivisie AZ’s form is patchy but productive: they produced a 5-2 home win over Go Ahead Eagles and a 3-2 away victory at Heerenveen in recent weeks, yet they also suffered a heavy 0-2 reverse at Feyenoord and had draws mixed in. That mix of high-scoring wins and narrow defeats highlights a side that can score freely but occasionally concedes at important moments, an imbalance that could prove decisive in a packed fixture calendar.

The travel element and the switch from Dutch league rhythm to an Armenian midweek tie are factors AZ must manage. Their most recent matchlist shows they can pick up points away from home in the league and have the capacity to arrive with attacking threat intact, but their away Europa loss to Sunderland is a reminder that away fixtures in this competition demand focus. Given Ararat-Armenia’s defensive struggles in the group, AZ have a clear opportunity to capitalise if they can reproduce the sharper end of their attacking output while limiting errors.

Verdict

Our prediction is an away win for AZ Alkmaar. Ararat-Armenia’s urgent need for goals is shadowed by a significant goals-against problem in the group, whereas AZ bring the advantage of already having picked up points in the Europa League and a recent pattern of scoring in the Dutch top flight. AZ’s capacity to combine attacking potency with moments of defensive discipline should be enough to secure victory in Yerevan.

Tip

Tip: Back AZ Alkmaar to win. The Dutch side have the superior European record so far — already on three points after their home win in the competition — while Ararat-Armenia sit on zero and have conceded heavily in group games; those contrasts make an AZ victory the clearest market selection based on the results available.