AZ Outclassed by Crystal Palace in UEFA Conference League
AZ suffered a 3-1 defeat at home against English Premier League side Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday evening. The Alkmaarders were outplayed, with only luck preventing Palace from increasing their lead at Selhorst Park.
Early Pressure from Crystal Palace
Palace, who qualified for the competition by winning the English FA Cup, created their first scoring opportunity in the 11th minute. Chris Richards headed a long ball back into the box, which Ismaila Sarr controlled on his chest before his volley struck the goalpost.
Missed Penalty and Palace's Response
- The home side was awarded a penalty shortly after. Yeremy Pino's through ball found Sarr near the edge of the area by Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta, known for his strong penalty record, had his shot saved by Owusu-Oduro.
- Following the miss, Palace intensified their attacks, with Owusu-Oduro making a superb save from Sarr's header and Will Hughes hitting the crossbar with a looping volley.
Palace Takes the Lead
This wave of pressure resulted in Palace's opening goal. A long ball into the box was nodded down by Sarr to center back Maxime Lacroix, who struck a low, powerful volley into the corner.
AZ's Efforts
AZ tested Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson just before halftime when Sven Mijnans took a decent shot from outside the area, which Henderson managed to push away from the corner.
"A long ball was headed back into the box by Chris Richards and taken on the chest by Ismaila Sarr before his volley hit the goalpost."
"Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has a good record from penalties, saw his effort saved by Owusu-Oduro."
"This pressure led to the first goal for the home side a few minutes later."
Despite some promising moments, AZ was outmatched by Crystal Palace’s sharp attacking play throughout the match.