AZ EYEING THIRD SUCCESSIVE WIN

Dutch team AZ Alkmaar are eyeing a third consecutive win in all competitions ahead of their trip to face FC Groningen in league football this weekend. They have won their last two matches in all competitions since the 1-1 draw with FC Twente at home earlier this month.

AZ Alkmaar returned to winning ways with the 4-1 win over 10-man Vaduz in the UEFA Europa Conference League on the back of the draw with Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie. They were able to maintain their perfect record in Group E of the UEFA Conference League with the big win over Swiss side FC Vaduz. Japanese defender Yukinari Sugawara, Dutch defender Sam Beukema, Dutch midfielder Dani De Wit and Turkish forward Yusuf Barasi all scored for AZ Alkmaar during the comprehensive victory over Vaduz. They had earlier beaten Ukrainian side Dnipro 1-0 away from home in their first Group E game as far as the UEFA Conference League is concerned.

Ajax Amsterdam were handed their first league defeat of the season by AZ Alkmaar just before the international break which ended earlier this week. The Dutch champions scored first, but they could not secure the win that could have maintained their three-point lead at the top of the table in the Eredivisie.

In-form Ghanaian attacker Mohammed Kudus scored the opening goal for Ajax against AZ Alkmaar on 12 minutes and the visitors led until they were hit with the sucker-punch of conceding twice in the last five minutes of the first half.Mees De Wit scored the equaliser for Alkmaar five minutes from the half-time interval before Jens Odgaard gave them the lead in the sixth minute of the first half. Ajax Amsterdam tried everything possible to get back into the game in the second half as their hosts held on for an impressive win.