AZ Alkmaar lost a friendly match in England on Saturday evening. The game against Sunderland ended in a 1-0 defeat after a second-half penalty.
A spot-kick from Enzo Le Fée in the 66th minute decided the outcome. The Sunderland midfielder converted from the spot after the referee spotted an infringement in the box. AZ created few chances of their own and were unable to overturn the deficit.
AZ head coach Pascal Jansen gave a pragmatic response to the loss. "This was a useful test, especially physically," he said. "We were able to give minutes to many players and that was the main objective. The result is less important now." The match primarily served to maintain fitness levels during the international break.
The Alkmaar side currently sits second in the Eredivisie with 16 points from six matches. Their recent league form is stronger, with three wins, one draw and one defeat in their last five games. Top scorer Ruben Daal has found the net four times this season. The full standings are available online.
Back to league business
Attention now turns fully to the next official fixture. AZ host Telstar this Sunday at the AFAS Stadion. The visitors are thirteenth in the table. The home support will hope for a return to winning ways, following the victory over Heerenveen and the draw with Willem II. The upcoming fixtures are vital to maintain touch with the leaders.
AZ's squad is largely fit, aside from a couple of long-term absentees. The lineup used against Sunderland gave an indication of the available options. The Telstar match offers a chance to get back to scoring points before the next busy schedule begins. Kick-off is at 14:30 on Sunday.
Read the full report at Sofascore
