AZ has qualified for the Conference League. In Norway, the return against SK Brann was drawn 3-3. The Alkmaarders took the penalties better. Last week there was a 1-1 draw in Alkmaar.
Mayckel Lahdo started in the base at AZ as a right winger, which meant that Jens Odgaard was on the reserve bench. Lahdo of all people opened the score. With a diagonal slider from just outside the box, he scored the opening goal in the 12th minute. A few minutes later, Ruben van Bommel had a huge chance, but he hit the crossbar from close range.
Redundant
AZ was the better team in Norway and it was Sven Mijnans who scored the second Alkmaar goal in the 29th minute. The North Hollanders seemed to be sitting on roses, but just before half-time Fredrik Knudsen headed in for SK Brann from a corner. With a 1-2 score on the scoreboard, both teams went to the dressing rooms.
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Pantelis Hatzidiakos also started in the base at AZ. This made it his 46th European game for the Alkmaarders. With this, the defender became the record holder in European matches for the North Holland team.
In the lock or not?
Early in the second half it was Ruben van Bommel who seemed to decide the game. The attacker tapped in controlled from a counter. Still, SK Brann got back into the game. Møller Wolfe caused an unnecessary free kick and Joachim Soltvedt then shot in beautifully.
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AZ had a hard time in the last twenty minutes and the Norwegians came alongside. Japhet Sery Larsen headed in hard from a corner. No more goals were scored in regular time. As a result, an extension had to offer a solution. In that extra time, the best was off for both teams and no more goals were scored. Felix Morn Myhre still had to get off with a red card after a nasty tackle on Mees de Wit.
Penalties had to ensure a winner. AZ took it better and so the Alkmaarders are playing the Conference League again this year.
Line-up AZ: Ryan; Sugawara, Hatzidiakos, Bazoer, Møller Wolfe (De Wit/70); Goudmijn, Mijnans, De Wit; Lahdo, Pavlidis (Odgaard/84), Van Bommel (Poku/70).