Wednesday 16th September 2026
Sunderland v AZ Alkmaar – Europa League
Stadium of Light – Kick-Off: 20:00
Tickets & Match Coverage
TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via TNT Sports.
Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)
Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.sbnation.com!
The build-up…
We’ve all been waiting for this since the final whistle went against Chelsea; some have been waiting for decades, but the moment is finally here, ladies and
gentlemen. Sunderland kick off our Europa League adventure against AZ Alkmaar tonight at the Stadium of Light, and it’s going to be emotional.
For all those years that we’ve followed the club as we’ve struggled to survive in the top flight, or desperately fought to get there, or we were a lifetime away as we languished in League One, this sort of night would only have been played out in our imagination, but pinch yourself if you need to, because it’s real.
I know I’m supposed to be previewing the game here, but it will go beyond what’s happening on the pitch. It’s an historic night that will be remembered regardless of what happens on the pitch. People in the crowd tonight may well be thinking of loved ones no longer with us who would have loved to have seen a night like tonight – it’s that sort of evening.
But on to the game; our first experience of a Thursday-Sunday fixture list, isn’t that at all, because you will all notice it’s Wednesday, so it feels like a normal midweek fixture at this stage. Having played on Saturday as well, this isn’t out of the ordinary for the players in terms of our schedule.
But the manager may well be tempted to hand a place in the starting XI to Methalie and Fofana, but with Reinildo ruled out of the weekend through suspension, he’ll likely keep his place. It will be interesting, however, to see Le Bris’ first line-up in this competition, as it may provide a couple of clues about how he’ll play it going forward.
Our first opponents are Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, and the first link between the two sides can be traced back to the 1950’s and a certain Bob Kelly. Kelly was an inside forward who made 54 appearances – scoring 15 goals – for Sunderland between 1925 and 1927, and after his playing career finished in the 1930s, he started a coaching career at Carlisle United that would take him into Europe.
In 1995, he would coach Kooger Football Club (KFC), which would eventually merge with another local club in 1967 to become the larger AZ Alkmaar. More recently, Dick Advocaat has had a couple of spells there as manager over the last couple of decades.
We’ve played them twice in friendlies, but never in a competitive game. The first was a goalless draw at Roker Park back in November 1975, which was a shared testimonial for Richie Pitt and Bobby Park. The more recent meeting was in 2005, when Mick McCarthy went up against Louis Van Gaal in a pre-season friendly that ended with Tommy Miller scoring the winner for the Lads.
It’s 7th v 7th tonight as both sides finished last season in the same position in their respective leagues, but AZ Alkmaar have been consistently good in the Eredivisie, having only failed to qualify for Europe on a couple of occasions in the last twenty years or so.
This season as well is showing they’re a top side; having come out of the blocks quickly, they have won five and drawn one of the first six games of the season. This has them joint top of the table with PSV, and means we have a tough test in our Europa League opener.
The betting…
The bookies have the Lads at 4/6 to win the game, while AZ Alkmaar are 19/5 to travel home with the victory, and the draw is 14/5.
Head-to-head…
(Non-competitive)
- Sunderland wins: 1
- Draws: 1
- AZ Alkmaar wins: 0
- Sunderland goals: 1
- AZ Alkmaar goals: 0
Last time we met…
Saturday 6th August 2005
Friendly
Alkmaarderhout, Alkmaar
AZ Alkmaar 0-1 Sunderland
[Miller 51’]
Sunderland: Davis, Wright, Breen (Stubbs), Caldwell, Arca (Nosworthy), Le Tallac (Lawrence), Robinson, Whitehead, Miller, Elliott (Brown), Stead (Welsh) Substitutes not used: Woods, Piper, Murphy
AZ Alkmaar: Timmer, Jaliens, Buskemolen (Ramzi), Opdam, De Cler, Landzaat, Sektiui, Schaars (Koevermans), Arveladze, Van Galen (Huysegems), Perez Substitutes not used: Willemsen, Janga, Medunjanin, Zwarthoed
Prediction…
Sunderland 2-1 AZ Alkmaar
It’s got a feeling of that Chelsea game about it. One of those where the atmosphere just takes us over the line. They’re a good side, but I think the Lads will carry on where they left off in the Arsenal game.
