Well, if we're stirring this alphabet soup of stats and data, the flavor that stands out is obviously from the AZ Alkmaar side. Their goalie, Rome Jayden Owusu-Oduro, may be slightly outdone in the save department by Fortuna's Mattijs Branderhorst, but hey, let's remember defense is a team sport, folks.
When we look at the "first line", as our American friends would say, AZ's Ibrahim Sadiq and Troy Parrott are looking sharper than a gouda cheese knife, both holding high ratings and netting some commendable goals. I mean, Sadiq's 80.4% accurate pass rate - that's like a dentist with an eerily steady hand – disturbingly accurate, and it shows in his goal tally.
Coming over to the Sittard boys, Ezequiel Bullaude is carrying some of the load with 2 goals under his belt. But Alen Halilović outshines him in the pass department with a 90.9% accuracy. Still, Bullaude’s pass accuracy is something even a Sunday league coach might wince at.
Now, if you want to stroll down memory lane, let's dust off the archives on their past skirmishes. The Alkmaar side seems to have a bit of a penchant for beating Sittard – it's like they stole their lunch money 4 times in a row.
Coming to this season, Alkmaar's not swatting away wins like flies with a 5-1-1 record. But compared to Sittard's disappointing 2-1-4, they're practically on a victory lap.
Let's hope Sittard didn’t develop a liking for the “underdog” tag because their recent results aren't exactly spectacular - I'm sure Sittard's faithful are already gritting their teeth. Alkmaar, on the flip side, bounced back like a cheap rubber ball after a stumble against FC Utrecht.
So if you're asking me - well, even if you're not - my gut tells me Alkmaar's going to have an easy day at the office, not without breaking a sweat, of course, but pretty darn close.
Albert’s Prediction: AZ Alkmaar by 2