AZ faces a very difficult task to reach the group stage of the Europa League. The Alkmaarders lost 2-0 against Celtic on Wednesday evening and therefore have to make up for a deficit in the return. AZ coach Pascal Jansen shows himself somewhat optimistic afterwards and that has everything to do with the availability of Jasper Karlsson, who was suspended before the game at Celtic Park.
“We know he can score a goal. With that in mind, I’m confident. I think worry is a big word. We do play a lot of chances together,” it says General Newspaper up from the mouth of Jansen. “In Alkmaar we have to make sure that we score that first goal next week. Then it gets even more exciting. With this 2-0 score while away goals no longer count double, you can say that it is now really rest.”
Jansen started last Saturday in the 1-0 lost away match against RKC Waalwijk without Teun Koopmeiners, but the captain of AZ did have a base place in Scotland. “But I looked at what we need as a team and what we have brought against RKC,” explains Jansen. “So I decided that I needed Koopmeiners and also Midtsjø. Teun is fitter than Midtsjö, we were able to see that today.”
“We are all disappointed, not much needs to be said about that”, Dani de Wit said afterwards in conversation with the AZ club channel. “We had hoped for a better result. There is not one thing specific to point out. After the 2-0, I didn’t necessarily have the feeling that it was over, because we still have a whole game to play and a goal can be important in that. We have scored enough goals in the pre-season, we have guys who can score goals. Now we create two chances and they either don’t go in or are rejected. That is a great shame.”
“Wanting to play great football is one thing, but you have to roll up your sleeves and show resilience. We did. We knew it would be necessary, because AZ has a good team”, says Celtic coach Ange Postecoglou on the meeting with AZ. “We tried to keep playing our own game. We had to be brave and we succeeded. Some players were physically at their limits, but they just kept going. That is a great sign for the future.”