A third Rotterdam opponent for a North Holland team this weekend. This time AZ will visit Sparta. AZ hopes to continue the good form of recent weeks at Het Kasteel. Follow it closely here, welcome!
Past: Sparta – AZ 0-1
AZ is the only one of the four North Holland professional clubs that took the full prize. With this success we conclude this live blog.
The Alkmaar team awaits an exciting week with the European meeting with Crystal Palace on Thursday and the clash against PSV on Sunday. You can follow all this closely in our live blogs.
You can also listen to our Telstar podcast ‘De Verlenging’ on NH Radio. This starts at 7 p.m., but you can also turn on the radio now for the ups and downs of our sporting province.
AZ wins against Sparta. Despite the good game, it was not very easy. The only goal came in the 69th minute from Smit. The victory keeps the Alkmaarders third in the Premier League, four points behind leaders PSV and Feyenoord.
Another three minutes of squeezing for AZ, as Sparta is pressing in the final phase of this match.
Excellent attack on the right side at AZ. However, substitute Sadiq passes the ball just too sharply, meaning that the other substitute Zeefuik cannot reach it. Kwakman has also joined the team. Left: Smit, Parrott and Patati.
Finally the lead is there for AZ, but the Alkmaarders have to keep paying attention. Suddenly Sparta substitute Santos took off, but Owusu-Oduro prevented the equalizer.
When you least expect it, AZ scores. A wonderful shot just outside the penalty area by Kees Smit. This time Drommel dives, but the Heiloose midfielder’s effort is perfect in the left corner.
After the excellent opportunities just after half time, Alkmaar’s dominance has subsided somewhat. Sparta is therefore more in the opponent’s half and the AZ team, including coach Martens, occasionally complain to referee Makkelie.
It is starting to become quite frustrating for AZ how Drommel manages to parry all the danger. This time it was Mijnans again with a precise shot, but the goalkeeper from Bussum tapped the ball just past the other side of the post.
AZ hits the post via Patati and shortly afterwards Mijnans tries with his heel from close range. Once again Drommel is impossible to pass.
For a while it looked like AZ took the lead in injury time in the first half. Only Parrott’s goal was canceled due to offside. Shortly afterwards, Makkelie blows the whistle for a fifteen-minute break.
The conclusion in Rotterdam is that AZ is much better, but the Alkmaarders alone do not capitalize on their chances. On the one hand, this is due to good goalkeeping by Drommel, but Parrott failed ostentatiously from the penalty spot.
This time it is Mijnans with the chance of the opening goal, but once again Drommel stands in the way. This time in the short corner. Despite excellent field play, the Alkmaarders were unable to outwit the Sparta goalie.
Just like a week ago, Parrott misses a penalty. The AZ striker pushes the ball moderately towards the bottom right corner and Drommel is also there on behalf of Sparta.
AZ plays football much more easily and occasionally creates opportunities. In the 21st minute, Parrott tries with a long shot, but the Sparta keeper saves from the Irish goalkeeper’s effort.
The first opportunity is a fact. Mijnans tried to surprise the AZ goalkeeper from a great distance. The Bussum goalkeeper Joël Drommel paid attention and tapped the ball over the crossbar just in time.
The match between Sparta and AZ has started. The current numbers 3 and 6 of the premier league.
The insane match of October 4, 2020 wasn’t that long ago. Sparta – AZ ended 4-4 that day, after the Alkmaarders led 0-4 after 33 minutes. Yet Sparta equalized just before the end through Sven Mijnans.
The current captain of AZ is the only player left from that match. The other players from both clubs play football elsewhere or have retired. A funny detail is that the referee is the same. Danny Makkelie is also the leader today.
A special afternoon for Bruno Martins Indi. He wore the AZ shirt for five years and last summer he switched to Sparta. For the first time he will meet his old team and will soon shake hands with his former teammate Sven Mijnans at the toss. The opposite applies to the AZ captain. He made the move from Rotterdam-West to Alkmaar in January 2023.
BMI made 126 appearances for AZ. The defender scored five times and provided six assists.
AZ is the fourth North Holland club to play this weekend. The other three professional clubs from our province already played yesterday. For example, Ajax did not get further than a 1-1 draw against SC Heerenveen at home, also a tie in Velsen-Zuid at Telstar – Excelsior. And FC Volendam lost 3-1 to Feyenoord.
It is striking that all three Rotterdam clubs meet a North Holland club. Let’s see if AZ does better than Telstar and FC Volendam.