The match between AZ and NEC has not resulted in a winner. Both teams kept each other in balance in Alkmaar: 1-1.
AZ was the better team but fell behind in the 54th minute. Iván Márquez headed in through the bottom of the crossbar, after a corner kick taken by Oussama Tannane. Three minutes later, Jens Odgaard equalized. He surprised goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen with a long shot. Cillessen kept an excellent game. It was mainly thanks to him that NEC was allowed to take a point to Nijmegen.
Cillessen had a good answer to attempts by Odgaard, Myron van Brederode, Dani de Wit and substitute Yukinari Sugawara. He escaped in stoppage time when Yusuf Barasi missed an open goal opportunity. Calvin Verdonk prevented Barasi from scoring the winning goal on the goal line.
AZ has collected 10 points from the first four competition matches, 2 points less than PSV and Ajax. NEC is in the middle of the Eredivisie with 5 points.
