AZ Alkmaar Cruise Past ADO Den Haag With Clinical Second-Half Display

Eredivisie · Regular Season – 1

AZ Alkmaar

2 – 0
FULL-TIME

ADO Den Haag

Saturday 8 August 2026 · 21:00 · AFAS Stadion, Alkmaar

AZ Alkmaar secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over ADO Den Haag in an Eredivisie fixture that was settled by two goals in quick succession during the second half. The win reinforces AZ’s standing in the Dutch top flight, while ADO Den Haag were left to reflect on a performance that ultimately offered too little in attack to trouble their hosts.

How the Game Unfolded

The first half passed without a goal, leaving the contest finely poised at the break. Both managers sought to change the dynamic of the game simultaneously at the 57-minute mark, with both sides making a double substitution. AZ introduced Weslley Patati for C. Stengs and M. Meerdink for T. Parrott, while ADO Den Haag brought on J. Hawkins for I. de Ruijter and F. de Bruin for M. Jimenez, suggesting the visitors were looking to freshen up their attacking options.

The changes had an immediate impact, though it was the home side who benefited first. Just four minutes after the substitutions, on 61 minutes, R. Daal broke the deadlock for AZ Alkmaar with a normal goal, giving the hosts the lead they had been pushing for. ADO Den Haag responded by making two further substitutions on 64 minutes — D. van Mieghem replacing N. Thomas and E. Rottier coming on for J. Bal — in an attempt to reshape their side and find a route back into the game.

Their efforts were undone just four minutes later when AZ doubled their advantage. C. Stengs, who had himself been withdrawn at the hour mark, was listed as the scorer at 68 minutes, with K. Smit registering the assist. The goal effectively put the contest to bed and signalled the beginning of a controlled wind-down from the home side. AZ continued rotating their squad, with K. Smit and M. Chavez Garcia introduced on 72 and 73 minutes respectively, and R. Daal — ironically AZ’s opener — being substituted off at 81 minutes. ADO Den Haag made their final change at 85 minutes, sending on P. Mulder for L. Wilhelm, though the result was by then beyond doubt. The sole notable disciplinary moment came at 74 minutes when ADO’s J. Kilo was shown a yellow card for roughing.

The Numbers

The statistics painted a clear picture of AZ’s dominance over the course of the match. The home side edged possession at 53% to ADO’s 47%, but the more telling figures came in the quality of chances created. AZ registered 12 total shots, with 10 of those coming from inside the box — a strong indicator of their ability to work themselves into dangerous positions. Of those efforts, four were on target, which proved enough for two goals. ADO Den Haag managed nine total shots but only one on target, requiring their goalkeeper to make two saves compared to AZ’s one.

Perhaps the most striking statistic was the expected goals figure. AZ accumulated an xG of 2.67, closely aligned with their actual output of two goals and reflecting the genuine quality of the opportunities they carved out. ADO Den Haag, by contrast, registered an xG of just 0.92, underlining how limited their attacking threat truly was throughout the ninety minutes. AZ also dominated in terms of corner kicks, earning nine to ADO’s seven, and completed 380 of their 460 passes for an accuracy rate of 83%, compared to ADO’s 81% from 401 attempts. ADO did commit more fouls — 14 to AZ’s nine — and picked up the only yellow card of the match.

Conclusion

This was a disciplined and efficient performance from AZ Alkmaar, who made their superiority count in a decisive eleven-minute spell between the 61st and 68th minutes. ADO Den Haag showed enough to suggest they were competitive for the opening hour, but ultimately lacked the clinical edge needed to test their hosts. The numbers confirm what the scoreline suggests: AZ were the better side by a clear margin.

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Written by Elison

Writes match previews, predictions, and post-match analysis for MatchdayValue, covering the top five European leagues and Europe's continental competitions.