Welcome to our live blog! AZ Under-19 plays for a place in the Final Four of the Youth League. On a sold -out sports complex in Wijdewormer, it has to pay for Manchester City. In 2023, AZ Under-19 won the tournament in Switzerland.
Live: AZ O19 – Manchester City O19 1-0
In the semi-final of the Youth League, AZ Onder-19 will compete against FC Barcelona. The Catalans were too strong for VFB Stuttgart in the quarterfinals. In 2023, when AZ won the Youth League, it won 0-3 against Barcelona.
What a crazy house! Deacon van der Klaauw shoots AZ Under-19 in a fantastic way to the 1-0. And that deep in injury time!
The extra playing time is three minutes. If the position stays that way, we will immediately take penalties and therefore do not play an extension.
Total confusion. Kasper Boogaard gets out of the sixteen from outside and everyone in the stands thinks the ball is flying into the intersection. However, his commitment goes wrong and so it remains 0-0.
What a great kick by keeper Kiyani say. He launches Wassim Bouziane, who takes the ball perfectly, but produces a roller.
Substitute Reigan Heskey makes a good eightie on the left and shoots the ball into the side net. Another ten minutes until the end of the game. If the stand stays that way, penalties immediately follow after ninety minutes of football.
It is now alarm phase one for AZ Onder-19. Manchester City dictates the game and pushes the Alkmaarders further and further back. The English give many dangerous passes from the side, but saying goalkeeper Kitani keeps his goal clean for the time being.
AZ is just as hard under the pressure of Manchester City. The English are seriously looking for the opening goal.
Kiyani saying the penalty kick! Divine Mukasa takes an extremely short run -up and Saying chooses the right angle. He holds AZ Under-19 at 0-0.
A violation in the sixteen and the ball goes on the spot.
Both teams started the second half unchanged. If there is an equal position after 90 minutes, penalties are taken immediately.
Most of the danger at AZ comes from the left. Again Wassim Bouziane comes in and he shoots a meter next to it.
AZ gets away well, because Matthew Henderson-Hall is completely free to head in. He just does not aim well enough and therefore the ball goes over Kiyani’s goal.
Through a rehearsed corner from Wassim Bouziane and Julian Oerip the ball comes to Bohdan Budko. He is dangerous, but his effort goes just wide.
A dangerous outbreak of AZ via the left side. Wassim Bouziane produces a shot, but that smears for the goal of Manchester City.
AZ also tries with a distance attempt. Bohdan Budko shoots with left next to the goal of keeper Oliver Whatmuff. Both teams are well matched in the opening phase.
The first danger of Manchester City comes with a shot from a distance. Goalkeeper Kiyani can easily grab the ball.
On the main stand, the audience springs up, because Yoël van den Ban shoots from outside the sixteen stops next to it. The tone was set immediately.
The ball rolls in a sunny Wijdewormer.
On April 24, 2023, AZ Onder-19 defeated the Croatian Hajduk Split in the final of the Youth League 5-0. How did things perish with those basic players from that successful Alkmaar formation?
Goalkeeper: Owusu-Oduro (Basic player AZ 1)
Defense: Mastoras (player Young AZ), Goes (player AZ 1), Schouten (player AZ 1), Beukers (player FC Volendam)
Midfield: Kwakman (rented to FC Groningen), Smit (player AZ 1), De Jong (player SC Cambuur)
Attack: Addai (player AZ 1), Poku (player AZ 1), Daal (player AZ 1)
Manchester City is the last hurdle for AZ towards the final weekend of the Youth League. This European adventure for the Alkmaar talents started in the Domestic Champions Path (the youth champions are released in this route). The youth teams of PSV and Feyenoord played in the group stage and took on the same opponents as the head forces of their club.
AZ eliminated the Norwegian Strømsgodset IF and Manchester United from England over two duels. As a result, the Alkmaarders reached the last sixteen of the Youth League. PSV and Feyenoord did not survive the competition phase and were therefore out of the tournament.
AZ was the only Dutch club to continue to the knockout phase. In one game, the Portuguese Benfica was first defeated in Wijdewormer and later AZ won in Spain against Real Madrid.
It promises to be a special football evening for AZ Onder-19. In the quarterfinals of the Youth League they play against Manchester City O19. In this live blog we will keep you fully informed!