AZ won the first away game of the season only once in the last ten premier league seasons. On August 2014, the Alkmaarders won on a visit to Heracles (0-3). The other matches were lost or drawn.
Opening
The latter was the case three times, lost six times. However, the last time PSV and AZ opened the season against each other AZ won. That was in the 2011-2012 season when they won 3-1 in Alkmaar.
AZ failed to secure European football last season. Coach John van den Brom's team, which has lost every meeting with Phillip Cocu, lost the cup final to Vitesse and was beaten in the playoffs for European football by FC Utrecht. So this year, AZ is looking for revenge. The Alkmaar goal is clear: to reach European football again.
Transfers
They have to do so with a fairly renewed selection. Departures include star players Matthias Johansson, Tim Krul, Ridgeciano Haps and Derrick Luckassen (the latter to PSV) and the selection has been supplemented with young talent like Calvin Stengs and acquisitions Marco Bizot and Marko Vejinovic. AZ has no shortage of self-confidence; earlier this week, Stengs told us that he is certain that his team is "going to catch PSV.
That squad still includes two former PSV players. Defensive cum midfielder Stijn Wuytens began his career with PSV in 2008-2009 before being rented out to De Graafschap. He eventually came to 27 duels at the Philips Stadium. Goalkeeper Gino Coutinho also played his first premier league matches for PSV. That was a total of four. The full selection of AZ can be found here.