AZ Alkmaar maintained their perfect start to the Eredivisie season with a 2-0 victory over Fortuna Sittard. The Alkmaar side now sits alone at the top of the table with nine points and a +7 goal difference.
This win followed an early red card for Fortuna defender Ole Romeny. He was sent off after just five minutes for a challenge on AZ full-back Mateo Chavez. Despite the numerical advantage, AZ struggled to break down Fortuna's defence in the first half.
Manager Pascal Jansen introduced striker Jizz Hornkamp at halftime. That decision proved to be inspired. In the 58th minute, Hornkamp broke the deadlock. In stoppage time, the forward sealed the result with his second goal of the afternoon. Fortuna Sittard suffered their first defeat of the campaign. AZ showed patience and eventually capitalised on the extra space.
With three wins from three matches, AZ is the only team with a perfect record. The club has scored eight goals and conceded just one. That gives them a two-point lead over second-placed PSV Eindhoven. Their current run of three consecutive league wins highlights the strong start.
The other results from this weekend, where clubs involved in European competitions had a rest, were Sparta Rotterdam 3-3 FC Utrecht, sc Heerenveen 0-2 PEC Zwolle, Go Ahead Eagles 3-1 ADO Den Haag, PSV 5-1 FC Groningen and SC Cambuur 2-5 Feyenoord. Only six Eredivisie fixtures were played.
Focus now quickly shifts to the next challenge. AZ hosts Go Ahead Eagles, who are third in the table, on August 29th. It promises to be a significant early-season top-of-the-table clash at the AFAS Stadion.
With Hornkamp as the team's current top scorer with two goals, AZ has multiple attacking threats. The squad's depth will be tested during a busy period. Player statistics are available on our stats page. The win against Fortuna Sittard sets the stage for an exciting week featuring a direct showdown with another frontrunner.
