At a sold-out training complex in Wijdewormer, AZ won 4-0 against Real Madrid in the Youth League. Daniël Beukers, Ernest Poku and Mexx Meerdink scored twice for the Alkmaar talents. With this victory, AZ advances to the semi-finals of the youth set-up of the Champions League.
It has never been so busy at the AZ training complex before. More than two thousand spectators watched the Alkmaar talents of the future with great interest. With many prominent figures in the stands, such as former national coaches Guus Hiddink and Raymond Domenech. At AZ, players such as Mexx Meerdink, Kees Smit and Fedde de Jong played on the artificial turf field in Wijdewormer. The latter player started last weekend in the base in Pascal Jansen’s team. Then De Jong took the right back position against FC Groningen, on Wednesday afternoon against Real Madrid he played as the most attacking midfielder.
Lightning-fast Poku
It took a while for the match to explode. AZ had a slight predominance on the field, but did not express that in chances or goals. That only happened in the second part of the first half. After a fumbling from the Spanish goalkeeper, the ball came from a corner kick at the feet of Daniël Beukers. This allowed the defender in a sitting position to open the score. After this, AZ pressed on and that resulted in a beautiful goal from Ernest Poku. At top speed, the winger sprinted out his personal Spanish guard and finished convincingly.
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Final blow
At the beginning of the second half a completely different picture at the AZ training complex. Real Madrid pushed the home team back quite a bit and were regularly dangerous for Owusu-Oduro. A connection goal was in the air, but it lacked Spanish precision. AZ was also dangerous a few times in the counter. Only ten minutes before the final blow fell. By a ticker of goaltjesdief Mexx Meerdink. Just before time it turned into a football party. With a beautiful bang from the left corner in the sixteen-meter area, Beukers put the 4-0 final score on the scoreboard. The second goal for the often emerging left back.
Due to the very handsome and historic win, AZ will advance to the semi-finals of the Youth League. Never before have the youngsters from Alkmaar reached the last four of this most important European youth tournament. Opponent is on April 21 in Nyon Sporting Portugal, Switzerland.
Setup AZ: Owusu-Oduro; Mastoras, Stam, Schouten, Beukers; Smit, De Jong, Kwakman (Kalisvaart/90); Addai (Tom Kerssens/73), Meerdink, Poku (Daal/81).