Expect AZ to line up in their usual 4-3-3, with the double pivot of Dave Kwakman and Peer Koopmeiners pulling the strings in midfield. The absence of Clasie — one of the league's most experienced organisers — is a blow, but Kwakman and Koopmeiners are more than capable deputies. They will sit deep, screen the back four, and look to play through Utrecht's first line of pressure. The wide forwards will stretch the pitch, targeting the space behind Utrecht's adventurous wing-backs. That is where the damage was done in the 4-1 — overloads on the flanks, runners in behind, chaos in the box.

Utrecht, expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, will try to stay compact and disciplined. Barkas in goal, a back four of Vesterlund, Horemans, Eerdhuijzen, and Zagre — solid enough on paper. The double pivot of Pohl and Offerhaus will sit in front, tasked with breaking up AZ's rhythm. But the problem is the wing-backs. They push high, leaving gaps in behind. Against a side like AZ, with pace and movement in wide areas, that is a trap waiting to spring. De Wit and Cathline will need to track back relentlessly, or the overloads will come again.

The midfield battle is the key. If Utrecht can win the second balls and deny AZ time on the ball, they can frustrate. But AZ's pressing trap is aggressive — they will hunt in packs, force errors, and turn turnovers into quick transitions. Utrecht's back line will be under constant pressure. The game state is likely to be AZ on the front foot, Utrecht absorbing and hoping to hit on the counter through Stepanov. That is a dangerous game to play against a side that just put four past you.