AZ experiences a frustrating evening in Rotterdam

Published on 04 november 23, 21:00

At AZ, Bruno Martins Indi returned to the starting lineup for the first time since his injury, and Jens Odgaard also had the opportunity to prove himself from the beginning.

Back and Forth
In the opening stages of the match, the game went back and forth. After two minutes, Vangelis Pavlidis had the first chance of the game, but his shot went over. A shot from Couhaib Driouech on the other side was an easy save for Mathew Ryan, just as it was for his counterpart, Stijn van Gassel, on a long-range effort from Jordy Clasie.

Ryan's Heroics
In the 25th minute, Excelsior suddenly had a great chance. Lazaros Lamprou crossed the ball to Troy Parrott. The striker had a close-range header opportunity, but Ryan made a fantastic reflex save to keep the score level. AZ had a few dangerous moments in front of the goal before half-time but didn't create a clear-cut chance. Both teams headed to the locker room with the score at 0-0.

Second Half
The second half was calmer. After 65 minutes of play, Excelsior had two significant chances. First, substitute Alexandre Penetra blocked an attempt by Parrott. From the resulting corner, Lamprou headed towards Ryan's goal, but the goalkeeper once again made a good save.

Lahdo's Goal
AZ improved as the game progressed, and in the 73rd minute, they took the lead. First, a shot from substitute Lahdo was blocked, but he later found the net from a corner. The Swedish player shot on goal and immediately claimed that the ball had crossed the goal line. The game continued, but after a VAR intervention, the goal was given!

Equalizer
However, AZ couldn't take all three points home. In the absolute final moments, the home team equalized through Cisse Sandra. Initially, Ryan made an excellent save, but the rebound found the back of the net. The match ended in a 1-1 draw when referee Gerrets blew the final whistle.

MATCH DETAILS
Excelsior Rotterdam - AZ 1-1 (0-0)
Eredivisie

Excelsior Lineup: Stijn van Gassel; Siebe Horemans, Casper Widell, Sven Nieuwpoort (85. Richie Omorowa), Arthur Zagré (78. Ian Smeulers); Julian Baas, Cisse Sandra, Kian Fitz-Jim (Noah Naujoks); Lazaros Lamprou (78. Derensili Sanches Fernandes), Troy Parrott (78. Nikolas Agrafiotis), Couhaib Driouech.

AZ Lineup: Mathew Ryan; Yukinari Sugawara, Riechedly Bazoer, Bruno Martins Indi (64. Alexandre Penetra), David Møller Wolfe; Jordy Clasie, Sven Mijnans, Dani de Wit (64. Tiago Dantas); Jens Odgaard (64. Mayckel Lahdo (87. Ibrahim Sadiq), Vangelis Pavlidis, Myron van Brederode (87. Ruben van Bommel).

Goal Scorers: 73. Lahdo 0-1, 90+2. Sandra 1-1.
Yellow Cards: Lamprou, Baas (Excelsior), D. De Wit, Bazoer, Møller Wolfe (AZ).
Referee: Laurens Gerrets.
VAR: Serdar Gözübüyük.