AZ Alkmaar needs to bounce back against Ilves Tampere on Thursday evening. Maarten Martens' team lost 4-3 in Finland last week. The players are aware of this and want to take revenge in front of their own audience. The match will be played at the AFAS Stadion and starts at 18:45. AZ Alkmaar has a good chance of winning, but Ilves Tampere is a dangerous opponent. The Finnish team is in the middle of their season and has an excellent match rhythm. AZ Alkmaar must score often, as keeping a clean sheet is rare for the team. Kees Smit is a player to watch, he is in form and provided an assist in the first leg. AZ Alkmaar must win convincingly against Ilves, preferably within regular time. The team from Alkmaar must therefore score a lot and concede few goals. Ilves Tampere may hope for an upset, but AZ Alkmaar is the favorite in this match. The game promises to be exciting, with many goals and action. AZ Alkmaar must recover and deliver a good performance to reach the next round of the Conference League. The team's defense was shaky in the first leg, with Mees de Wit and Denso Kasius having an off day. David Møller Wolfe and Seiya Maikuma were missing due to minor injuries, and it's unclear if they will be available for the return leg. AZ Alkmaar must find a way to contain Ilves' attack and score enough goals to win the match. The team's fans will be eager to see a strong performance from their team, and a win would be a big boost for the players' confidence.