AZ was unable to strike against FC Twente. The team of trainer Pascal Jansen took the lead through Jens Odgaard, but still had to take an equalizer during the final offensive of the Tukkers: 1-1.
Unchanged from the Conference League game against Dnipro-1 (1-0 win) AZ started the match. That meant another starting spot for Maxim Dekker, who started in the heart of the defense.
The two teams did not differ much in the rankings and that was noticeable on the field. In Alkmaar there was little to enjoy for the fans, because chances were few. The numbers four and five of the Eredivisie therefore kept each other in balance until the break. A great chance from Tijjani Reijnders and a slider from occasional striker Jens Odgaard were the only revivals. In between, Hakon Evjen dropped out with an injury and was replaced by Mayckel Lahdo.
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The break seemed to have done AZ well, because the Alkmaarders soon took the lead. Jens Odgaard, who replaced the injured Vangelis Pavlidis as striker, completed the 1-0 against the ropes. The playing pattern remained the same throughout the match. Towards the end of the match FC Twente became more and more dangerous. Ricky van Wolfswinkel hit the post and Ramiz Zerrouki saw his icicle burst against the crossbar.
The equalizer was thus in the air and it eventually fell via Ugalde, who managed to find a passage in the busy sixteen-meter area. It seemed as if both teams could live with a draw and the top match ended in a 1-1 draw.
AZ setup: concealed; Hatzidiakos (Sugawara/63), Beukema, Dekker, Kerkez, Clasie, Reijnders, D. De Wit (Barasi/78); Evjen (Lahdo/31), Odgaard (Bazoer/73), Van Brederode (M. De Wit/63)