AZ celebrates victory in Amsterdam

Published on 08 oktober 23, 17:00

Riechedly Bazoer returned from injury against Ajax and played from the first minute. The Alkmaar team took to the field on Sunday afternoon wearing a specially designed match shirt to honor the 450th anniversary of Alkmaar Ontzet.

Van Brederode
It was AZ that posed the most danger at the beginning of the first half. Myron van Brederode had two shots, both of which were saved by goalkeeper Jay Gorter. Mayckel Lahdo also had a shot opportunity, which was blocked by the Amsterdam defense.

Pavlidis' Record
For a long time, it seemed like there would be little of note happening in the first half until the 45th minute arrived. An Ajax attack broke down around the sixteen-meter area, and then it was Jordy Clasie who was able to initiate a counter-attack. He passed the ball to Lahdo, who in turn could send Pavlidis on his way. The Greek striker didn't hesitate and smashed the ball into the net: 0-1! With this goal, Pavlidis becomes the first AZ player ever to score in eight consecutive Eredivisie matches.

Dani de Wit
The traveling fans from Alkmaar didn't have to wait long for an extension of their lead in the second half. In the 57th minute, a well-executed attack was tapped in by Dani de Wit: 0-2! Once again, it was Lahdo with a skillful play that set up Sven Mijnans. The latter delivered a precise cross that was finished by the number ten.

Odgaard
In the 73rd minute, Ajax clawed back to 1-2. A long-range shot from substitute Branco van den Boomen took a deflection, catching the Alkmaar defense off guard. This made things a bit more exciting in Amsterdam, but AZ continued to have the best chances. Jens Odgaard came on as a substitute and proved to be very dangerous. One attempt was blocked by a leg of Jorrel Hato, and shortly after, the substitute shot wide.

Closing Stages
With 86 minutes on the clock, Gorter had a hard time dealing with a cross from Odgaard, which was then narrowly missed by Ibrahim Sadiq. In the closing stages, AZ's defense, just as against Legia, stood firm. Ajax couldn't create any more opportunities, and as a result, AZ took all three points back to Alkmaar!

MATCH CHARACTERISTICS
Ajax - AZ 1-2 (0-1)
Eredivisie

Ajax Lineup: Jay Gorter; Devyne Rensch (46. Anton Gaaei), Jakov Medic, Gaston Avila, Jorrel Hato; Silvano Vos (68. Branco van den Boomen), Steven Bergwijn, Kenneth Taylor; Carlos Forbs, Brian Brobbey, Amourricho (41. Georges Mikautadze).

AZ Lineup: Mathew Ryan; Yukinari Sugawara, Riechedly Bazoer (71. Bruno Martins Indi), Alexandre Penetra, David Møller Wolfe (88. Denso Kasius); Jordy Clasie, Sven Mijnans, Dani de Wit; Mayckel Lahdo (71. Ibrahim Sadiq), Vangelis Pavlidis, Myron van Brederode.

Goal Scorers: 45. Vangelis Pavlidis 0-1; 57. Dani de Wit 0-2; 73. Branco van den Boomen 1-2.
Yellow Cards: Steven Bergwijn, Silvano Vos.
Referee: Allard Lindhout.
VAR: Murat Küçükerbir.