AZ Alkmaar have been drawn against Sunderland in the group stage of the 2026/27 Europa League. This week's draw placed the Eredivisie leaders in Group C alongside the English side, AC Milan, and Dinamo Zagreb.
The Alkmaar side will face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. That match is scheduled after Sunderland's away fixture at AC Milan. Sunderland's complete schedule also includes home games against Dinamo Zagreb, Jagiellonia, and Levski Sofia, and away trips to Anderlecht, Lech Poznan, and Torrense.
Group C is a challenging pool featuring major names. AC Milan, fifth in Serie A last season, started their new campaign with a 2-1 win away at Torino. Dinamo Zagreb are the reigning Croatian champions. Sunderland, managed by Regis Le Bris, have winger Nilson Angulo in their ranks, who previously played for Anderlecht. The other clubs in the draw were Anderlecht, Jagiellonia, Lech Poznan, Levski Sofia, and Portuguese second-division side Torrense.
AZ Alkmaar enter this European adventure with significant confidence. The club currently sits first in the Eredivisie with a perfect nine points from three games. They have scored eight goals and conceded just one, giving them a +7 goal difference. In this form, they hold a two-point lead over PSV Eindhoven. The next test is the home match against GO Ahead Eagles, who visit on August 29th sitting third in the table. Fans can follow the full schedule on our fixtures page.
The draw offers AZ Alkmaar a direct chance to measure themselves against top clubs from major leagues. The away trip to Sunderland, in a packed stadium, will be a key moment. Their strong domestic start, with three consecutive victories making them the only unbeaten side, gives the squad key momentum. The defence, breached only once so far, looks solid. The current league standings can be found on our standings overview.
These group stage matches come on top of a busy domestic schedule. The squad's ability to handle this workload will be decisive. The coaching staff faces the task of managing energy levels across both competitions. Player statistics during this busy period can be tracked via our stats page.
AZ Alkmaar qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the Eredivisie last season. At the time of the draw, however, the club was already back on top of the league, showing a notable improvement. This European qualification is a reward for last year's work and a platform for their current ambitious form. The team has clearly progressed and now aims to prove it on the European stage.
The focus now shifts first to the short term: the upcoming Eredivisie match against GO Ahead Eagles. After that, preparations for the European campaign begin in earnest. The combination of strong domestic performances and challenging European fixtures will define this early part of the season for AZ Alkmaar.
