Stiff AZ remains in title fight thanks to narrow victory over FC Groningen | Premier League

AZ continues to win narrowly in the Eredivisie. After previously beating Cambuur and Vitesse with a minimal difference, Saturday night’s victory over FC Groningen was not one of splendor either. Only one goal from Karlsson was enough for the win. As a result, it remained exciting for AZ until the final whistle.

Against FC Groningen it turned out once again that Jesper Karlsson is close to his top form from last season. The Swede curled the ball beautifully behind Groningen keeper Michael Verrips after only four minutes on Saturday evening. Earlier in the week, Karlsson was already good for two assists in Rome in the Conference League game against Lazio, while he was the only goal scorer in the game against Vitesse last week.

Partly due to injuries, the season for Karlsson is not nearly as successful as the previous year, when he was extremely productive with fifteen goals. He was then also the most important AZ player in the play-offs for European football.

But this season, the Swede missed the first seven games of the season due to an injury, after which his goal production stalled in the following games, in which he was able to play.

After Karlsson’s opening goal, however, AZ sank in the battle with the relegation candidate, who narrowly lost in De Kuip against Feyenoord last week. Afterwards, it was mainly about the dubious red card that left back Isak Määtä received for unsportsmanlike play. Jetro Willems took over the position from the Finn on Saturday evening and asserted himself with urgency.

Just like last week in De Kuip against the leader of the Eredivisie, FC Groningen certainly played well against the number two and was sometimes entitled to more. With an active Elvis Manu, who hit the post before the break, in the front and the defense block Radinio Balker and Thijmen Blokzijl who neutralized AZ striker Vangelis Pavlidis. In the second half, however, little came of the Groningen urge to act offensively.

The number seventeen of the Eredivisie was still alive twenty minutes before the end when Sven Mijnans missed an imposed opportunity. It could have given AZ a quiet final phase, but it remained exciting for the team of trainer Pascal Jansen until the end. Next Thursday, AZ will first try to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Conference League. Then Lazio is the opponent in Alkmaar. After the victory in Rome, AZ must win that game.