Youth League fairy tale continues for AZ after unprecedented stunt at Real Madrid


Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 3:50 PM• Davey de Laat • Last update: 15:58

The UEFA Youth League fairytale of AZ Under 19 will be continued. The Alkmaarders stunted in-house against Real Madrid’s peers on Wednesday afternoon: 4-0. More than 2,500 spectators saw how goal scorers Daniël Beukers (twice), Ernest Poku and Mexx Meerdink shot their team to the semi-finals. Sporting Lisbon is the next opponent of the Alkmaarders.

Guus Hiddink was an attentive spectator on Wednesday afternoon at the AFAS Training Complex for the match against Real. After more than twenty minutes of play, the former national coach saw how AZ’s Poku was close to the opening goal. After good preparatory work by Meerdink, the attacker encountered Real goalkeeper Diego Piñeiro. AZ was accurate from the ensuing corner kick. The goalkeeper of the Spaniards released the cross, allowing Beukers to take full advantage and shoot the ball in from close range: 1-0.

Six minutes later, the home team doubled their lead through Poku. The AZ attacker received the ball from Jayden Addai, was much too fast for his direct opponent and then hit the short corner: 2-0. Five minutes before the break, Fedde de Jong missed a huge chance for the third goal after seeing his bet taken by Piñeiro. Just before the break, an attempt by Real via Pol Fortuny ended just wide of the mark, so that the Alkmaarders went into the break with a 2-0 lead.

A few minutes after the start of the second company, Real came close to the tying goal. Gonzalo García gave the ball towards the goal after a nice action, but there was no teammate to work in that cross. Poku had a great chance ten minutes after the break, but the attacker was indecisive and was easily run off the ball. After an hour of play, AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owosu-Oduro had to take action for the first time after a header from center defender Jacobo Ramón. As the second half progressed, AZ’s talents were increasingly pushed back by Álvaro Arbeloa’s team. Yet it was Meerdink who ended the game fifteen minutes before the end. The striker was able to shoot the ball against the ropes after the rebound of a De Jong shot landed at his feet: 3-0. Beukers put the final score on the board in the final phase: 4-0.