The click between the public and the AZ selection has been hard to find in recent weeks. More often there was a flute concerto or white handkerchiefs than applause. Zakaria Aboukhlal also experienced this on Sunday afternoon against sc Heerenveen (2-0), but the attacker crowned his comeback with a very important goal.
A week ago, Pascal Jansen himself was the scapegoat for the Alkmaar public. A group of supporters waved white handkerchiefs at the trainer in dissatisfaction. Now Jansen saw that Zakaria Aboukhlal was the bitten dog. In the 86th minute the attacker entered the field with a whistle, but three minutes later he scored the important 2-0.
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AZ had to work hard in the moderately filled stadium in Alkmaar. The Alkmaar team lost on Thursday after all, deep in injury time visiting sc Heerenveen (3-2)† On Sunday at home, AZ did a lot better. Dominant and aggressive play led to Dani de Wit’s opening goal early on. In the end it lasted until the 89th minute when Zakaria Aboukhlal shot the AZ players to the final.
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AZ will play the first leg of the final of the play-offs on Thursday and the return on Sunday. At the moment it is still unclear who will meet the Alkmaarders.
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