After a mediocre first half, in which Jong AZ was the dominant party, the Emmen team took control after the break. Despite the dominance in the second act, the red and white were unable to win: the game ended 1-1.
Although the match ended in a draw, the red and white rose one place in the rankings: to place 4.
Trainer Robin Peter showed mixed feelings afterwards. “We forgot to score, and that’s a shame,” the German coach analyzed. “Based on the second half, we should have won. We started the game a little slow, but as the game went on we got better in our game. The intensity went up, we were more aggressive, and the energy was radiating. It’s disappointing that we were unable to score with 24 shots on target. The boys deserved more.”
One of the highlights of the evening was the official debut of Alaa Bakir. The German midfielder, who made his first minutes for FC Emmen in the 70th minute after finally becoming eligible to play last week, left a promising impression. He almost crowned his appearance with a goal. “It felt great to finally be on the field,” Bakir said. “I have worked hard to reach this moment and I am happy that everything is now complete. The result should have been better, but this certainly leaves me wanting more.”
Trainer Robin Peter also praised Bakir’s performance. “He brought exactly what we expected from him: creativity, ball control and energy. He has shown that he is an asset.”
The match had a special touch for defender Robin Schouten. He started in the starting line-up for the first time this season against the club where he played for years in the youth and promising team. “It was nice to be back here,” Schouten said afterwards. “I have a lot of memories here, so it was nice to talk to old acquaintances.”
Schouten looked back positively on his own game. “I missed some competition rhythm, but I think I showed myself well. I want to fight back into the team and this match was a nice step. Despite the result, I am satisfied with my performance.”
The last match before the winter break is scheduled for next Friday. In their own stadium De Oude Meerdijk, the red and whites take on number 8 FC Den Bosch. They also drew 1-1 against Jong PSV on Friday evening.