AZ has easily qualified for the second round of the UEFA Youth League champions route. The team of coach Jan Sierksma won 7-0 against Gabala on Tuesday evening at the AFAS Training Complex in Wijdewormer, after an earlier 0-4 victory in Azerbaijan.
Nick Koster opened the score for AZ and made it 3-0; in between, Fedde de Jong scored from a nice overhead kick. The fourth goal was scored by Myron van Brederode. Jurre van Aken and substitutes Tom Kerssens and Mexx Meerdink also contributed in the second half. AZ fired a total of 23 shots, 19 of which were on target. Goalkeeper Hasan Hasanli made no fewer than twelve saves, but was unable to prevent the enormous defeat.
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— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) October 19, 2021
In the Youth League, a distinction is made in the first two rounds between the Champions League Path and the Domestic Champions Path. AZ still has to survive a knockout round to reach the play-offs, in which the runners-up from the group stages of the Champions League Path enter. In the play-offs, a ticket for the eighth final of the Youth League is at stake, but the group winners from the Champions Path automatically qualify for it. Ajax is also active in the Champions League Path; the team from Amsterdam is third in the group with Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Portugal and Besiktas. On Sunday afternoon Ajax lost 1-5 to the German club.
AZ qualified for the tournament in the 2019/20 season, because the Under 19 became champion of the Netherlands. The Alkmaarders would make their debut last season, but due to the corona measures, the edition of that year was canceled. In the next round, AZ will face the winner of the diptych between Miercurea Ciuc and Angers. In the first mutual encounter, Anders won 0-2 against the club from Romania; the return match is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
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