AZ Alkmaar score late on to beat FC Twente 3-2 in playoffs final for European football

AZ Alkmaar confirmed a place in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers next season on Sunday, beating FC Twente 3-2 in the final of the playoffs for European football.

FC Twente went 2-0 up due to two goals from Sem Steijn. Mexx Meerdink got one goal back for AZ before halftime before Ruben van Bommel scored in the second half to make it 2-2. Ibrahim Sadiq scored the winning goal for AZ in injury time.

Maarten Martens’ team had beaten FC Twente in both games they played in the Eredivisie this season and had a home advantage for the final due to the fact that they finished fifth and Twente finished sixth. But Joseph Oosting’s side made a better start to the game leading to them being given more chances to score.

Referee Serdar Gözübüyük pointed to the spot in the 19th minute after Alexandre Penetra was judged to have fouled Ricky van Wolfswinkel. Steijn beat the AZ keeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro with a low shot into the right corner.

Steijn only needed to tap home a good attack led by Michel Vlap and Daan Rots to get his second goal. AZ responded quickly to this goal. A shot from Ernest Poku was blocked before Meerdink scored from the rebound.

Meerdink had a significant chance to get his second at the start of the second half, but his effort went over the goal. Van Bommel scored the equalizer in the 53rd minute. He gave Twente keeper Przemyslaw Tyton with a thundering effort from outside the area.

Tyton saved an effort from Van Bommel after this to prevent the winger from getting his second of the game, and Maxim Dekker cleared a ball off the line at the other end.

An error from Younes Taha led to an attack for AZ in injury time in which a shot from Troy Parrot was saved by Tyton before Sadiq responded quickly and scored. Owusu-Oduro also played a big role in AZ’s win with a fingertip save to an effort from Arno Verschueren after the goal.