AZ Alkmaar cruise past Sparta Prague 4-0 to reach Conference League quarter-finals
A fantastic second-half performance from AZ Alkmaar resulted in a convincing 4-0 win away to Sparta Prague in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, ensuring that the Alkmaarders have advanced to the quarter finals. Isak Jensen, Troy Parrott, Sven Mijnans, and Ro-Zangelo Daal scored the goal for AZ in the Epet Arena. AZ had also won the first leg 2-1 a week ago.
It was another impressive performance under newly elected manager Lee-Roy Echtold. The Amsterdammer has won nine out of his 15 games in charge thus far. This was their eighth goal in two games as they had beaten Heracles Almelo 4-0 during the weekend.
AZ were boosted by the news that Daal was going to be available for the game. The young winger came off the pitch with an injury against Heracles at the weekend.
It was a great start for AZ and a sign of things to come when they took the lead in the eighth minute. A free-flowing move led to Isak Jensen hitting a shot hard and low into the far corner to make it 3-1 on aggregate.
Echtold’s team scored another great team goal in the 58th minute. A chipped pass by Peer Koopmeiners was right on the mark for Denso Kasius, who had come forward from the right back position. He then played a terrific low cross to Troy Parrott, who finished the chance to get his third goal in the competition, with the first two goals coming last week against the same opponent.
AZ were on fire, and they scored another beauty three minutes later. Unlike the first two, this goal was more due to individual brilliance, with captain Sven Mijnans hitting an inch-perfect shot hard into the far corner before celebrating with the traveling support.
Poor defensive organization led to the team’s fourth goal. Jaroslav Zeleny lost possession with a free kick, with Elijah Dijkstra intercepting the pass and playing a looped ball to Parrott, who took the ball in his stride, leaving him the Sparta half the run into unopposed, before waiting for Daal, who had come forward with him, which led to a tap-in for the winger.
Mijnans almost got another terrific goal later on when substitute Mexx Meerdink won the aerial duel to head the ball onto the midfielder; his audacious lob landed on the top of the crossbar.
AZ will face the Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the quarter-final. The Ukrainians beat Lech Poznan. They play their home games in European competition in Krakow due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
