Productive first half hour helps AZ on its way to successful start against FC Groningen

FC Groningen has started the new Eredivisie season with a hangover. In the AFAS Stadium in Alkmaar, AZ, which was ready after a productive first half hour, was much stronger. The fact that the Alkmaarders already have competition, they kicked the football year on July 24 against the Finland Ilves Tampere in the second preliminary round of the Conference League, was clearly visible on Sunday.

Last game Poku?

In the meantime, the team has reached the third preliminary round of the European competition and undoubtedly wanted to build AZ coach Maarten Martens on that 3-0 win against FC Vaduz last Thursday: he only changed his basic team in one place. Captain Jordy Clasie, who follows a separate program to be as optimally deployable as possible in the coming period, was allowed to start again. That was at the expense of Peer Koopmeiners.

Also in the base: Ernest Poku. Although the wing attacker probably played his last game for the Alkmaarders on Sunday, he leaves for around 12 million euros for the Bayer Leverkusen of trainer Erik ten Hag, he proved to be important again for his team. Just like in the match against FC Vaduz, Poku provided an assist. After the 21-year-old talent got the ball from Kees Smit, the steaming right back Denso Kasius Groningen goalkeeper Hidde Jurjus left Jurjus without a chance in the short corner.

Productive first half hour AZ

The fast goal tasted like more and the second fell less than fifteen minutes later, when Troy Parrott went down in the penalty area and referee Serdar Gözübüyük resolutely to the spot pointed. Of course the Irish striker himself stood behind the ball: 2-0. After half an hour AZ even came at 3-0 after Parrott saw his headage via Groningen captain Stijste Resink fly into the goal via the bottom of the bar.

Thanks to Marco Interest, the green and white came from nowhere to 3-1 after Jeroen Zoet has missed a corner. However, AZ did nothing that pin prick, although the hope did return to the people of Groningen. A minute after the break, the team of coach Dick Lukkien got a huge chance at the 3-2, but Bynjólfur Andersen Willumsson renounced the game to make the game.

The competition, other than Parrott, was finally thrown in just before time. After summer gain Mateo Chávez gave the ball to Parrott, De Irishman knew what to do with it: with a ball in the distant intersection, he gives AZ the first Eredivisie victory of the season.