Welcome to our live blog about the Crystal Palace – AZ match. For the first time in their club history, both teams play against each other. The team from London is 16th in the Conference League and AZ is in 21st place.
Crystal Palace – AZ: 1 – 0
This was coming. Palace defender Lacroix scores very dryly.
It is AZ keeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro who keeps the team going with a few wonderful saves in a short time.
Goalkeeper Owusu-Oduro causes a penalty but manages to save it!
Ismaïla Sarr hits the post from a free kick. AZ does very well there.
AZ with ball possession. Unfortunately, this has not yet led to great opportunities.
It is AZ with the first feat. Kees Smit’s shot is easy prey for the Crystal Palace goalkeeper.
Crystal Palace kicked off at Selhurst Park.
After the departure of John Heitinga, Ajax has to look for the eighth trainer in less than 3.5 years. Erik ten Hag said goodbye to the national title in the summer of 2022 and left for Manchester United. Subsequently, no coach served out his contract with the club from Amsterdam.
Alfred Schreuder was fired after more than six months. Heitinga then served as interim coach for the playing group for almost half a season. The former defender was not offered a permanent contract. Ajax opted for Maurice Steijn, who had to leave after 131 days.
Steijn was temporarily succeeded by his assistant Hedwiges Maduro, who soon had to make way for interim coach John van ‘t Schip. Ajax then opted for Francesco Farioli. The Italian saw insufficient prospects at the club from the capital at the end of last season and now works as head coach at FC Porto.
With Heitinga as head coach, Ajax has not been successful in recent months. After leaving Ajax, Ten Hag was fired from United and Bayer Leverkusen and is currently not under contract with any club. For many Ajax fans, he is the dream successor to Heitinga. However, Ajax no longer has as much to spend as when Ten Hag made his debut as head coach of Ajax in January 2018.
AZ coach Maarten Martens has brought two players to London who were not previously part of the selection for a European match. Kasper Boogaard and Andrea Natali could make their first European playing minutes in the match against Crystal Palace in the Conference League.
Martens is missing a number of players in the third game of the main tournament. Denso Kasius, Ro-Zangelo Daal, Matej Sin, Dave Kwakman, Jordy Clasie, Mexx Meerdink and Seiya Maikuma did not travel. The game starts on Thursday at 9 p.m.