AZ Alkmaar hosts Aston Villa in the Conference League on Thursday. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, World Champion with Argentina, will be in goal in Alkmaar.

What did Martínez say about Louis van Gaal?

Martínez spoke about his experiences against the Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar. He called Louis van Gaal a top manager.

How did the quarterfinal against the Netherlands go?

In the quarterfinal, Martínez was the hero of the later World Champion. He saved penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis.

What are the expectations for the match against AZ Alkmaar?

Martínez is focusing on Thursday's match. 'For me, tomorrow's match against AZ is just another match', he said.

The current standings of AZ Alkmaar are: | Competition | Stand | | --- | --- | | Eredivisie | 7th, 52 points, 14W-10D-10L | | Goals | 58 scored, 51 conceded (+7 goal difference) | | Title race | 32 points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven | | Last result | AZ Alkmaar 3-3 NAC Breda (2026-05-17) | | Recent form | 0W-5D-0L (DDDDD, most recent first); unbeaten in the last 5 matches