AZ 5–2 Go Ahead Eagles | Eredivisie | 29 August 2026

Result Summary

AZ delivered a commanding performance at home, dismantling Go Ahead Eagles 5–2 in an Eredivisie fixture that underlined the Alkmaar side's attacking ambition under coach Leeroy Echteld. Despite a brief spell of uncertainty after Go Ahead Eagles equalised in the first half, AZ reasserted their dominance emphatically across both halves to claim a thoroughly deserved victory.

Match Analysis

AZ set the tone early when Dave Kwakman opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a composed right-foot finish. The hosts appeared to be in control, but Go Ahead Eagles responded with purpose — Victor Edvardsen levelling matters in the 22nd minute with a right-foot shot to make it 1–1 and temporarily inject belief into Joseph Oosting's side.

That parity proved short-lived. Ro-Zangelo Daal restored AZ's lead on 35 minutes, converting a right-foot shot from a Kwakman assist, sending the hosts into the break ahead and with momentum firmly on their side.

The second half saw AZ shift gears decisively. Lewis Schouten extended the lead to 3–1 just four minutes after the restart — a left-foot finish assisted by Mateo Chávez García — effectively ending the contest as a meaningful contest. Chávez García then got on the scoresheet himself in the 68th minute with a left-foot effort, making it 4–1 and capping a superb individual contribution that also included an earlier assist.

AZ's substitutes maintained the momentum. Calvin Stengs, introduced in the 64th minute, provided the assist for Daal's second goal of the match in the 86th minute — a trademark right-foot finish that made it 5–1. Go Ahead Eagles grabbed a late consolation through Mathis Suray in 90+3 minutes, but by that point the result was long decided.

The statistics reinforce the story of AZ's superiority. The hosts registered 20 total shots to Go Ahead Eagles' 10, with 8 shots on target compared to 4 for the visitors. AZ also generated 57 dangerous attacks versus 30, and their 15 key passes to Go Ahead Eagles' 3 illustrates just how thoroughly they controlled the creative side of the game. Possession was relatively balanced at 52% to 48%, yet AZ's efficiency in turning possession into genuine chances was markedly superior. Both sides matched an identical 83% successful pass percentage, but the difference lay clearly in execution in the final third.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match analysis projected a 2–0 AZ home win, with a 65% probability assigned to an AZ victory at a confidence level of 61/100. The predicted winner proved correct — AZ did win convincingly at home — though the final scoreline of 5–2 significantly exceeded the forecast margin. The model correctly identified AZ's home strength and Go Ahead Eagles' vulnerabilities, but underestimated the attacking depth Echteld's side would display, particularly the impact of Daal (two goals) and the creative influence of Chávez García (one goal, one assist).

Key Takeaways

• Ro-Zangelo Daal was the standout performer with a brace, while Dave Kwakman contributed both a goal and an assist before his 64th-minute substitution.
• Mateo Chávez García produced an influential all-round display with a goal and an assist.
• Go Ahead Eagles showed brief resilience through Edvardsen's equaliser, but lacked the defensive structure to contain AZ's relentless attacking output.
• AZ's 15 key passes versus Go Ahead Eagles' 3 tells the definitive story of where the match was won and lost.