AZ received a lesson in effectiveness against Aston Villa. The Alkmaarders shot on target much more often and defended strongly. Yet after ninety minutes there was a 1-4 final score on the scoreboard and according to trainer Pascal Jansen that was not flattering. “They hurt us terribly at the right times,” says Jansen.
AZ coach Pascal Jansen: “They hurt us terribly at the right moments” – NH Sport / Stephan Brandhorst
AZ’s defensive duo struggled quite a bit in the first half. With Riechedly Bazoer and Alexandre Penetra as the central duo, the English did not get in front of AZ’s goal. Bazoer fought many physical duels with Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins and was therefore able to compete with the strong Premier League players. Under pressure, AZ made a few mistakes with the ball, after which Aston Villa struck mercilessly.
“They can score a goal with very few chances”
Bazoer also noticed that things went wrong twice during the build-up. “We made unnecessary mistakes, which were punished fatally,” says the central defender. “They can score a goal with very few chances,” he concludes. The statistics confirm this, as Aston Villa only shot five times in total, four of which between the posts.
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Riechedly Bazoer believes that AZ made unnecessary mistakes against Aston Villa – NH Sport / Stephan Brandhorst
After three games, AZ has only three points in the group stage of the Conference League. They only won against Legia Warsaw (1-0), but the team lost against Zrinjski Mostar (4-3) and Aston Villa (1-4). As a result, three crucial matches await with a view to European wintering. “We are playing against high-level teams. So here a mistake is immediately dealt with. We have to learn from that. Hopefully it will turn out well.”
Bazoer: “Of course you’re not doing good business” – NH Sport / Stephan Brandhorst