AZ had to deal with the harsh laws of European football during a visit. They didn’t take the chances themselves and Anderlecht, on the other hand, injured Alkmaarder twice (2:0).
Coach Pascal Jansen, the latter was unnecessary. “We weren’t ruthless enough on defense.”
Four matches without a win
“I thought at times we played pretty well. But absolute faith was lacking,” continued Jansen, who failed to win for AZ for the fourth consecutive year. “We are not scoring easy goals right now. We often find luck going back and forth between mails.”
In AZ, the offensive Jesper Karlsson, who can disrupt games and decide with his actions, was not yet ready to start. This was no excuse for Jansen’s defeat. “The kids who are here right now can do that too.”
Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has spoken of a “frustrating evening” but hopes to return next week. “We know we can score two or even three goals at home.”
Check out Tijjani Reijnders and Bart Verbruggen’s reactions here:
Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was the only Dutchman to leave the field laughing.
Verbruggen is one of the bright spots of a team that had a very disappointing season and finished ninth in the Belgian league. He was even rewarded with a selection for the Orange squad by national coach Ronald Koeman.
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“I’m just trying to stay sober,” Verbruggen says of his breakthrough this season. “I am grateful to be on this podium.”
It is still relatively unknown to the Dutch public but that could change next week. “We’re going to Alkmaar feeling it’s 0-0 and we have to try really hard.”
Source: NOS

I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.