AZ winters in the Conference League after a difficult 2-1 win over FC Vaduz. The Alkmaarders got away well with chances from the Liechtensteiners a few times.

FC Vaduz is the only professional club in Liechtenstein and plays at the second level of Switzerland. The fact that the club is still allowed to participate in the Conference League is because it won the Liechtenstein Cup for the 48th time last season.

Mediocre first half

Compared to the 2-1 defeat at Excelsior last Sunday, there was another player in the starting XI from AZ in the small Rheinparkstadion in Vaduz. The Japanese Yukinari Sugawara replaced the surrendered Myron van Brederode.

Jesper Karlsson therefore switched from the right to the left wing, with Sugawara taking the honors up front on the right.

AZ coach Pascal Jansen saw that “after a bit of tension left and right” there was some tension in his team:

After five quiet minutes, AZ Vaduz turned their thumbs up with fast attacking play and high pressure. However, there weren’t really any chances while Vaduz was dangerous. In the twelfth minute, a cross from the Swiss attacker Merlin Hadzi sailed just wide of the goal.

Shortly before the end of the boring first half, Vaduz was even closer to a goal. Another Swiss, Ryan Fosso, fired a meter from range.

AZ seemed to score from the break, but left-back Milos Kerkez’s goal was denied for a flamboyant push. Kevin Iodice almost scored an own goal in the 34th minute, but Liechtenstein goalkeeper Benjamin Büchel was on the alert.

In the 40th minute, AZ keeper Hobie Verhulst immediately prevented an incoming corner. Characteristic of the phase in which the Alkmaarder find themselves is that, after three defeats in a row, they have difficulties climbing up to the penultimate table in the second Swiss division.

Büchel parried a free-kick from Jens Odgaard shortly before half-time, which meant that both teams went to bed goalless: 0-0.

With the same eleven names, AZ started sharply after the break, which resulted in Hungary’s Kerkez scoring their first European goal in the 50th minute. He steamed after a pass from Tijjani Reijnders, dodged a duel and pushed the ball past Büchel with his right leg: 0:1.

Verhulst best man at AZ

Under the watchful eye of Crown Prince Alois von und zu Liechtenstein, Vaduz rose to its feet. In the 55th minute, Verhulst almost misjudged a long-range shot. The wrong corner that followed went just wide. A header from Vaduz left-back Anhony Goelzer just missed the goal just before the hour.

Fosso conceded a flawless low pass moments later and fired in the corner with a controlled left foot, but Verhulst was the only AZ player to reach a high level today. Myron van Brederode fell in the 74th minute and made the substitution shine again after less than a minute with a goal in the corner: 0:2.

The game seemed over, but the tension was back a minute later after a mistake by substitute Riechedly Bazoer. Bazoer gave an unnecessarily wide pass from the outside, which was intercepted by Liechtenstein international Nicolas Hasler. He approached Verhulst and finished in a controlled manner: 1-2.

AZ feared another downer but escaped twice in the last quarter of an hour. The greatest chance came from a free kick by Fabio Fehr, which sent AZ just hitting the right post. Vaduz had another big chance in stoppage time but Verhulst was again a hindrance.

The other group game between Ukrainian Dnipro-1 and Apollon Limassol from Cyprus was won by Ukrainians 1-0. AZ and Dnipro-1 are in the next round, in a joint duel in Alkmaar next week it will be decided who will finish top of the table. AZ now leads by two points.