Utrecht vs AZ Alkmaar

AZ Alkmaar came to Utrecht and absolutely ran riot, leaving the hosts chasing shadows for large stretches of what turned into a thoroughly one-sided affair. The visitors went ahead before half-time and never looked back, eventually running out 4-1 winners in a demolition job that saw them rack up 24 shots to Utrecht's 8. Peer Koopmeiners was the standout performer in AZ's attacking display, earning the man of the match award with a commanding eight-point-two rating. Utrecht never really got going despite enjoying decent possession throughout. They managed just two shots on target all evening while AZ's forwards were ruthless in front of goal, and the visitors' dominance was reflected in the corner count too—they won nine to Utrecht's three. This was a crushing result for the home side, the sort of performance that leaves little room for excuses and plenty for the coaching staff to work through before the next match.

AZ Alkmaar beat Utrecht 1-4 at Stadion Galgenwaard, and the numbers from the match back up how the game played out. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 48% in favour of Utrecht, AZ Alkmaar made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 8 attempts from Utrecht against 24 from AZ Alkmaar over the course of the game. Utrecht had their moments and did not make it easy from start to finish, but ultimately came up short on the day. Small margins like this one tend to add up over a season, and results such as this are often what separates teams in the table further down the line. Here is a closer look at exactly how the two sides compared, statistically.