AZ receives a lesson in efficiency

Published on 26 oktober 23, 20:42

Mayckel Lahdo was absent from AZ due to suspension. Sadiq replaced the Swede in the starting lineup. It was the forward's debut in the starting lineup.

Early Deficit
AZ found themselves behind early in the match. Thirteen minutes into the game, Leon Bailey received the ball just outside the box. The forward remained composed and slotted the ball into the net. AZ did have a chance through Vangelis Pavlidis shortly afterward, but the Greek's shot posed no problem for Emiliano Martinez. On the other end, they conceded again. Youri Tielemans appeared in front of Mathew Ryan's goal and found the back of the net.

Opportunities
AZ struggled but managed to create a few chances to get back into the game. After 25 minutes, Pavlidis had the best opportunity for AZ. Aston Villa lost the ball sloppily, and the striker had a clear shot on goal, but his effort went over. Shortly after, Pavlidis did score, but Myron Van Brederode had been offside before that, so the goal was disallowed. AZ went into halftime trailing 0-2.

Further Behind
AZ came out of the break well and put pressure on the English team, but the very first counter-attack resulted in another goal. Bailey's shot was initially saved by Ryan, but Watkins then put in the rebound. Just six minutes later, the ball was in the net once again. John McGinn tapped in from close range after a good cross. AZ faced a nearly impossible task.

 

Sadiq
Still, there was hope in the AFAS Stadion. After 65 minutes of play, debutant Sadiq beautifully slotted the ball into the far corner. AZ sensed an opportunity and took full control of the match. Attempts from substitutes Jens Odgaard and Tiago Dantas went over and wide, and even a shot from Jordy Clasie yielded no results. AZ had quite a few chances throughout the game, but Aston Villa was simply more efficient.

Match Characteristics:
AZ - Aston Villa FC 1-4 (0-2)
UEFA Europa Conference League

AZ Lineup: Mathew Ryan; Yukinari Sugawara, Riechedly Bazoer, Alexandre Penetra (46. Bruno Martins Indi), David Møller Wolfe; Jordy Clasie, Sven Mijnans (46. Tiago Dantas), Dani de Wit (86. Djordje Mihailovic); Ibrahim Sadiq (67. Jens Odgaard), Vangelis Pavlidis, Myron van Brederode (67. Ruben van Bommel).

Aston Villa FC Lineup: Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Diego Carlos, Clément Lenglet, Lucas Digne; Boubacar Kamara (86. Leander Dendoncker), John McGinn (80. Moussa Diaby), Douglas Luiz (69. Nicolo Zaniolo), Youri Tielemans, Leon Bailey (86. Bertrand Traoré); Ollie Watkins (86. Jhon Duran).

Scoring: 13. Bailey 0-1, 23. Tielemans 0-2, 51. Watkins 0-3, 57. McGinn 0-4, 65. Sadiq 1-4.

Yellow Cards: Mijnans, Clasie, Bazoer (AZ), Lenglet (Aston Villa).

Referee: Sven Jablonski.
VAR: Daniel Siebert.
Attendance: 16,633.