With playful ease, AZ has qualified for the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup tonight. On a visit to RKC Waalwijk it was already 0-3 halfway through and after the break the Alkmaarders ran out to 0-4. The four goals were scored by four different players.
Dani de Wit gave AZ the lead in the eighth minute. RKC took advantage of the loss of the ball, after which Vangelis Pavlidis served the attacking midfielder. De Wit managed to push the ball into the goal with the inside of his right foot.
AZ is getting away with it
RKC, which played strikingly with a B-team, then had two very big chances to equalize. First Jens Odgaard was sent away. He served Lennerd Daneels who was able to finish up close. The attacker hit the post via AZ keeper Peter Vindahl. Less than a minute later, ex-AZ player Iliass Bel Hassani appeared alone in front of Vindahl’s goal. He seemed to score with a bounce, but the ball went wide.
It seemed to be a difficult evening for AZ. Just then it became 0-2. Jesper Karlsson made it to the backline and led low. Through Issam El Maach’s fingertips, Pavlidis got the ball in front of his feet and simply shot in.
Penalty kick decides the match
A foul on Owen Wijndal in the penalty area resulted in a penalty in the 32nd minute. Referee Edwin van de Graaf had missed it, but video referee Serdar Gözübüyük brought him to the screen. Karlsson was allowed to moor from eleven meters and shot flawlessly into the left intersection.
Even after the break, there was cheering. Substitute Zakaria Aboukhlal got the ball for shooting after a nice ball from Jordy Clasie. The Moroccan international hit easily: 0-4.
AZ will play a home game in the semi-finals. That means that Ajax or PSV will be the opponent, because the two top teams will play an away game. The draw is Saturday evening.
AZ setup: Vindahl; Sugawara (Witry/78), Hatzidiakos, Martins Indi (Beukema/72), Wijndal (Kerkez/78); Midtsjø (Reijnders/72), De Wit, Clasie; Evjen (Aboukhlal/57), Pavlidis, Karlsson