AZ Alkmaar strengthened their lead at the top of the Eredivisie with a 2-0 victory over Fortuna Sittard. It was a third consecutive win for the Alkmaar side, making them the only team with a perfect record so far.
The match in Sittard was heavily influenced by an early red card. Fortuna striker Ole Romeny was sent off in the fifth minute for a challenge on AZ defender Mateo Chavez. Despite the numerical advantage, AZ struggled to break the deadlock in the first half. Manager Pascal Jansen introduced striker Jizz Hornkamp at halftime, and the substitution paid off handsomely.
Jizz Hornkamp broke the deadlock in the 58th minute. The substitute scored the opening goal and added a second in stoppage time to seal the 2-0 win. His double secured the three points for AZ and handed Fortuna Sittard their first defeat of the season. The victory keeps AZ in first place, with nine points from three games. The team has scored eight goals and conceded just one, for a goal difference of +7. Their recent form is excellent with three wins in a row.
In a shortened third round, with clubs in European action given the weekend off, five other matches took place. PSV Eindhoven came from behind to thrash FC Groningen 5-1 and now share second place with Go Ahead Eagles. The Deventer club beat ADO Den Haag 3-1, leaving ADO still without a point. PEC Zwolle earned their first win of the campaign by defeating sc Heerenveen 2-0. The match between Sparta Rotterdam and FC Utrecht ended in a spectacular 3-3 draw, with Nick Verschuren scoring a 96th-minute equaliser for Sparta.
With the win, AZ Alkmaar remains the sole leader. The team holds a two-point advantage over the chasing pack of PSV and Go Ahead Eagles, who both have seven points. The perfect start underlines the club's ambitions this season. Fans can follow the full table on our standings page.
The next test for the leaders is just around the corner. On Friday, 29 August 2026, AZ Alkmaar hosts Go Ahead Eagles at the AFAS Stadion in a direct clash between two of the top three teams. A victory could further stays at the summit. The full schedule can be found on the fixtures page.
