Ajax vs AZ Alkmaar

When Ajax hosts AZ Alkmaar at the Johan Cruyff Arena for the Noord-Hollandse Derby on Sunday night, they will be hoping to solidify their hold on the top of the Eredivisie standings, since both teams are coming off Europa League exits.

The Sons of the Gods maintained their dominant eight-point advantage over second-place PSV last time out, extending their winning streak to 10 league games.

Despite successfully surpassing defending champions PSV at the Eredivisie summit, Ajax was unable to duplicate this success on the European front, losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League round of 16 twice in a row.

AZ have dominated the Noord-Hollandse Derby in recent years, securing victory in five of the last encounters, including four consecutive wins. Their impressive streak includes a 2-1 league triumph in Alkmaar earlier this season and a 2-0 victory in January, which knocked Ajax out of the KNVB Beker at the quarter-final stage.

However, De Godenzonen enter this clash with strong domestic form, showcasing both an explosive attack and a resilient defense. They have scored 21 goals while conceding only twice in their last 10 Eredivisie matches, maintaining five consecutive clean sheets. Their most recent outing saw them grind out a 1-0 away win against Zwolle.

AZ, on the other hand, will be eager to build on their recent performances at the Johan Cruyff Arena, having managed to avoid defeat in their last two visits with a win and a draw.

Francesco Farioli's team had an uphill struggle in Germany after losing the first leg 2-1 in Amsterdam. Instead of a strong recovery, they suffered a brutal 4-1 loss and were eliminated with a 6-2 aggregate score.

Thankfully, Ajax can now concentrate on their domestic goals as the Dutch powerhouses are poised to win a record-tying 37th Eredivisie championship with nine games left.

They will play AZ this weekend, the last team to defeat them in the league this season and the team they have lost to in their previous seven attempts, so it will be a difficult test.

Their recent supremacy in this match has been further demonstrated by the fact that they have shut out Ajax in three of their past five encounters, scoring eight goals and giving up just two.

But after wasting a 1-0 first-leg lead against Tottenham to lose 3-1 on Thursday and leave the Europa League in the round of 16, Maarten Martens' team has to get over the disappointment of their European elimination.

After a 3-1 league loss against Heerenveen on March 2, which was a major blow to their hopes of qualifying for Europe, they suffered their second loss in three games with that result. They are now three points behind fourth-place Twente, who now hold the last Europa League slot.