Promoted Willem II steal point to stop leaders AZ's winning streak

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/az-alkmaar/2RxOow1i/"]AZ[/a] had started the Eredivisie season with five consecutive wins and hosted promoted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/willem-ii/6u3qag0G/"]Willem II[/a] in the AFAS Stadion to kick off Round 6 of the Dutch league.[/p][p]Celebrating his 350th Eredivisie appearance, midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clasie-jordy/jXmcHMfr/"]Jordy Clasie[/a] scored just his second league goal since October 2023 to give AZ the lead after a complete stalemate in the opening half hour - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stengs-calvin/zVcGaA1B/"]Calvin Stengs[/a] found [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meerdink-mexx/OjqNXAED/"]Mexx Meerdink[/a] in the penalty box, who then laid it off for Clasie to roll it into [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/delanghe-maxime/WlJxIKKs/"]Maxime Delanghe[/a]'s far corner.[/p][p]The goal put a dagger in Willem II's hopes, with the Tilburg side having won just one point from the opening five rounds and failing to get a shot on target in the first 80 minutes in Alkmaar.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="9aa0318b-0e73-4261-9648-c7761adb0921" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1e38a95b-3182-4fb2-9419-1f1ad450a02d" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]With AZ controlling the second half but falling short of expectations, Willem II weren't out of the contest just yet and shockingly found their way back in it via [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haen-devin/YDnIlJfn/"]Devin Haen[/a], who virtually earned the visitors their second point with their first attempt on goal all night in the 81st minute.[/p][p]It was all hands on deck for AZ, where manager Leeroy Echteld brought on striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bendeguz-kovacs/2awfSoVm/"]Bendeguz Kovacs[/a] for his Eredivisie debut, as well as last week's match winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/oufkir-ayoub/zez4qJxc/"]Ayoub Oufkir[/a]. It was Brazilian winger [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/weslley-patati/4Qz3uVNq/"]Weslley Patati[/a] who got the biggest shot at securing a late win for AZ, but failed to do so after scooping a cross over the bar from inside the 6-yard box.[/p][p]The winning streak of the Eredivisie leaders came to an unlikely end in Alkmaar, where winless Willem II took home a valuable point in the relegation fight. AZ ran a bad rehearsal ahead of next week, when the Alkmaar side visit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] in their first UEFA Europa League game of the season.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/az-alkmaar-2RxOow1i/willem-ii-6u3qag0G/?mid=xlczmknT"]Check the full match statistics on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="0de10bae-6320-4290-a5a3-89e062d6a1aa" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="91f2a116-86a6-4db3-a9ab-e6c2c163085a" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /]