Alkmaar, Netherlands (My Sportsbook) - Following an 0-2 start to the Eredivisie campaign, AZ Alkmaar has won its last four games to climb into third place, three points behind league-leaders NAC.

AZ has tallied 14 goals in its four wins, and is set to add to that total on Saturday when the club hosts last-place Volendam, which has lost all six of its games while conceding 17 goals.

Manager Louis van Gaal acknowledges that his side is a big favorite heading into the match, but he also knows that it will be important for them to keep their focus against what will likely be a defensive-minded Volendam.

Mounir El Hamdaoui has been AZ's biggest weapon in attack, with eight goals in six games, and Van Gaal will once again lean on El Hamdaoui to spark the attack, while the boss will have to do without Gijs Luirink (knee), Gill Swerts (hamstring), Moussa Dembele (knee) and Kees Luijkx (thigh).

Volendam head coach Frans Adler is certainly feeling some pressure ahead of the game, but even he admits that a win at AZ is a very tall order.

Adler's side will be helped by the return of Gerry Koning and Arvid Smit, but the status of Marijn Sterk is up in the air after he left training on Thursday with a shoulder injury.

PSV Eindhoven sits in fourth place after losing 2-1 to NAC last time out, and they will try to get back into the win column against Roda on Saturday, while the day's other two matches feature middle-of-the-table sides Willem II and Graafschap squaring off, while second-place Groningen entertains a Sparta side with one win in its first six games.

League-leaders NAC visits bottom-half side Utrecht, Ajax looks to escape the middle of the table and move into the top half with a win at home against NEC, Vitesse searches for its first win as they host Twente and Feyenoord hopes to turn around a terrible start to the season with a home victory against Heerenveen.