AZ Alkmaar were held to a 1-1 draw by Willem II on Saturday evening. The match at the AFAS Stadion finished level after Devin Haen scored a late equaliser for the visitors nine minutes from time.
Manager L. Echteld's side controlled large parts of the game. Jordy Clasie opened the scoring after half an hour, finishing from a Mexx Meerdink assist. AZ dominated possession and created further chances but could not find a second goal. Willem II goalkeeper M. Delanghe kept his team in the contest with several good saves.
Lineup
Echteld selected a 4-2-3-1 formation with J. De Busser in goal. The defence consisted of E. Dijkstra, W. Goes, L. Schouten and M. Chávez. J. Clasie and P. Koopmeiners played in midfield, with C. Stengs, D. Kwakman and R. Daal supporting striker M. Meerdink. Willem II also started in a 4-2-3-1 under manager J. Stegeman.
AZ continued to push for a decisive goal in the second half. Echteld introduced Valdemar Byskov Andreasen and Weslley Pinto Batista for Stengs and Clasie just after the hour mark. Jizz Hornkamp later replaced Meerdink. The home side enjoyed 67% possession and 22 shots, but only five were on target. As the match entered its final stages, Willem II struck. In the 81st minute, Uriël van Aalst set up Devin Haen, who finished past De Busser. It was only the visitors' second shot on target.
Table implications
The draw ends AZ's perfect winning streak. The Eredivisie leaders remain unbeaten and stay two points clear of PSV Eindhoven with 15 points from five matches. The team has scored 16 goals and conceded five. The full standings are available here.
AZ must now look ahead to their next fixture. On Sunday 20 September, they host Telstar at the AFAS Stadion. The opponents currently sit 14th in the table. The full fixtures schedule shows the upcoming programme. Stije Resink remains unavailable for that match.
