Unbeaten in five Eredivisie games, Sparta Rotterdam travel to the AFAS Stadion to face off against AZ Alkmaar on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the hosts are on a three-match winning streak which they will to look to extend as the battle for second place intensifies.

Match preview

For all their reputation as a ruthless attacking side, AZ Alkmaar showed great resolve at the other end of the pitch to claim a 1-0 victory over Willem II on Saturday.

Pascal Jansen's men had their work cut out for them when Teun Koopmeiners was sent off just five minutes into the game for a rash challenge.

AZ were put under pressure by their opponents from that moment onwards, but they withstood everything thrown at them before Albert Gudmundsson scored the winner with less than 20 minutes left on the clock.

The Cheeseheads continue their amazing form since the turn of the year, during which only Ajax have picked up more points.

Saturday's game sees them go up against a side who they bottled a four-goal lead against in October's reverse fixture at the Het Kasteel, which produced perhaps the game of the season to date.

Sparta Rotterdam claimed a second home win on the bounce as they came from behind to defeat PEC Zwolle in a 3-2 thriller on Saturday.

Mica Pinto put Henk Fraser's men ahead, but goals from Bram Van Polen and Slobodan Tedic turned the game around in the visitors' favour.

Sparta's talisman Lennart Thy had the final say as he scored twice in the final quarter of an hour to give his side a hard-fought victory.

De Rood-Witte Gladiatoren moved into 11th place courtesy of that triumph, and they are now just two points away from the top half.

Saturday's visitors are unbeaten in their last two games against the hosts, but they have lost four of their last five away games in Alkmaar.

Team News

Pantelis Chatzidiakos is ruled out for the clash as the Greek defender is yet to feature since suffering a knee injury against Vitesse.

Teun Koopmeiners was given his marching orders last time out, and he will serve the first of a three-game suspension in this one.

Rens van der Wacht's involvement is still hanging in the balance as he hopes to shake off a knock just in time to play a part in the match.

The visitors are set to be without 29-year-old Tim Coremans, who has missed the last nine months of action due to a shoulder problem.

Bart Vriends recently picked up a thigh injury in the last week of March, and he is expected to miss the game as he is yet to recover.

AZ Alkmaar possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Wijndal, Martins Indi, Letschert, Svensson; Stengs, Reijnders, Midtsjo; Karlsson, Boadu, Gudmundsson

Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Vriends, Heylen, Beugelsdijk, Fortes; Auassar, Burger, Smeets; Duarte, Mijnans, Thy

We say: AZ Alkmaar 3-1 Sparta Rotterdam

AZ have been near perfect in recent weeks, dropping points in only one of their last eight games. We are backing them to keep that run going with a relatively comfortable victory in this one.