European Recap: AZ Alkmaar and Utrecht sitting pretty after final qualifying first leg games | OneFootball

The Dutch teams enjoyed some solid showings last night, as AZ Alkmaar and FC Utrecht both won 2-0 away from home against Levski Sofia and Zrinjski in European qualifiying.

AZ prevailed in Bulgaria in the Europa Conference League, giving former Fortuna Sittard manager Julio Velázquez plenty to think about for the return leg in Alkmaar. Maarten Martens’ side are now just one more game from qualification, and certainly showed their credentials in the Balkan heat.

AZ take a first-leg advantage to the AFAS Stadion

Both sides began this match at Stadion Vasil Levski in a relatively tentative fashion. There wasn’t much room for error, as the respective teams seemed visibly reluctant to land the first blow. Left-back Mees de Wit came the closest in the opening exchanges, as he fired into the left side-netting in the 16th minute, yet this was the only real chance to write of.

After the break, AZ made their mark. Just like he did against Volendam, Ibrahim Sadiq leapt magnificently despite his diminutive stature and nodded home the opener from an Isak Jensen cross in the 55th minute. This was clearly the catalyst the game required, as Levski almost immediately forced a response less than three minutes later.

Struggling under pressure from Radoslav Kirilov, Denso Kasius lost possession and allowed the winger to cross low from the left. It evaded everyone in the box, until Marin Petkov forced a diving claim from Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro.

Kasius made up for his botched clearance in the 62nd minute, finding Kees Smit from a right-sided throw-in. Finally coming to life in this clash, Smit wriggled in-field from the flank and pulled the ball back for Peer Koopmeiners. He shot, Svetoslav Vutsov saved, but Troy Parrott was there to sweep up the rebound for his 10th goal in seven games so far this season.

Aside from a clattering Everton free-kick onto the crossbar as the game approached the final 10 minutes, this was all she wrote in Bulgaria before the return leg next Thursday.

FC Utrecht find revenge against old foe Zrinjski Mostar

The last time Utrecht faced Zrinjski Mostar, they tasted defeat in the Europa League’s second round of qualifying in 2019. Ron Jans’ group worked quickly to move that fact firmly into the rearview and grabbed the first chance in the driving Bosnian rain.

In the 21st minute, David Min tested keeper Goran Karacic with a low drive from the edge of the box, before a sprinting Victor Jensen just failed to get onto the rebound. Eight minutes later, Zrinjski responded with an effort of their own, as smart interplay freed up Duje Dujmovic to drive low and force a fine stop from Vasilios Barkas.

Utrecht then went out in front just before the interval, as Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov penalised Petar Mamic’s sliding block from a Niklas Vesterlund ball in for handball. After VAR review, Min stepped up and blasted into the top-left corner for 1-0 in the 39th minute.

Zrinjski responded to going behind well. They even forced another Barkas save from Leo Mikic in the 43rd minute, before action up the other end saw Slobodan Jakovljevic divert a Min effort over his own bar.

Keeper Karacic did excellently to save a Jensen header in the 53rd minute, yet as the rain persisted, the action seemed limited in the second period. Fouls were seemingly more common than concrete chances, and the hosts’ Petar Mamic notably first entered the book in the 69th minute.

Utrecht understood that the ball needed to be in the air to make another breakthrough, as the pitch steadily became waterlogged. Five minutes from time, this was effective as the visitors made the lead more comfortable. Gjivai Zechiël burst down the left and crossed superbly for Jensen to nod home powerfully. The hosts’ frustrations continued into stoppage time, as Mamic added a second booking to his collection to miss the second leg at the Domstad.

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield