2-0: Pavlidis, Ryan and penalties take AZ into the semi-finals

A doublet from the Greek Vangelis Pavlidis and Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan’s decisive save, which saved two of Anderlecht’s penalties, sent AZ Alkmaar into the semi-finals of the Conference League.

From the eleven meters where the one-on-one between the Dutch representative and the Belgian team was resolved, which they won in the first leg 2-0. The score was repeated at the AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar. In extra time there were no goals and the classification was at the expense of shots where Ryan made the difference.

AZ Alkmaar He sought to reach a European semifinals almost twenty years after the last time. In the 2004/2005 season, they played in the semifinals of the UEFA Cup and were eliminated by Sporting Lisboa, blocking the way for the Dutch team in what would be their second continental final.

The obstacle, this time, was called Anderlecht, another European football classic that soon faced a problem. The two-goal advantage they achieved in the first leg evaporated in just 13 minutes, the time it took Vangelis Pavlidis to score a double to level the tie.

First, from the penalty spot; and then, fifteen minutes later, after scoring in an empty net after an assist from Jens Odgaard. Moments later, AZ were fully back in the tie against an opponent who had only woken up in the second half, when Moussa N’Diaye, with a stunning shot, forced goalkeeper Mathew Ryan to intervene for the team Dutch.

The Dutch team was able to sign the third six minutes from time with a shot on the post by Hungarian Milos Kerkez when Bart Verbruggen was beaten. Success declined and all at the cost of extra time, first, and later penalties.

AZ Alkmaar scored on all four of his shots: Jordy Clasie, Yukinari Sugawara, Tijani Reijnders and Mexx Meerdink. Anderlecht missed two of them. Ryan stopped Jan Vertonghen’s, the first, and Kilian Sardella’s third