Both sides are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1, which sets up a fascinating midfield dogfight. AZ will likely send out Dave Kwakman and Peer Koopmeiners as the double pivot, with the experienced Jordy Clasie missing — that's a blow, but it's not a fatal one. Kwakman and Koopmeiners are young, hungry, and more than capable of playing through Utrecht's first line of pressure. They'll look to control the tempo, keep the ball moving, and feed the wide runners who can knife through the half-spaces.

Utrecht's expected XI features Vasilios Barkas in goal, with a back four of Niklas Vesterlund, Siebe Horemans, Mike Eerdhuijzen, and Arthur Zagre. In front of them, Ferdinand Pohl and Guus Offerhaus form the double pivot, with Angel Alarcon, Dani de Wit, and Yoann Cathline supporting Artem Stepanov up top. That's a decent side on paper, but the key question is whether they can handle AZ's pressing trap. Utrecht's wing-backs are likely to push high, which leaves space in behind — and AZ have the pace and movement to exploit exactly that.

The game state is the thing to watch. If Utrecht sit deep and try to hit on the break, they might frustrate AZ for a while. But if they try to play out from the back and get caught in possession, AZ will smell blood. The visitors are set-piece kings too, and with Koopmeiners delivering, they'll fancy their chances from dead-ball situations. This has the look of a match where AZ control the ball, create the better chances, and eventually find a way through.