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Crystal Palace √ AZ Alkmaar thu 06 nov 2025 | 8:00pm k.o. Directors Chairman Steve Parish, David Blitzer, Joshua Harris, Woody Johnson Chief Executive Officer Sharon Lacey Chief Financial Officer Mitesh Velani Club Secretary Christine Dowdeswell Head of Sports Medicine Dr. Imtiaz Ahmad Academy Director Gary Issott Director of U21 Development Mark Bright Chief Operating Officer Jonty Castle Chief Commercial Officer Barry Webber General Counsel David Nichol Head of Ticketing Paul McGowan Head of Retail Foz Bowers Head of Marketing Matt Franks Head of Safeguarding Laura Baptiste Head Groundsman Bruce Elliott
04 06 10
21 04 manager 08 chairman
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Editor Jack Lacey-Hatton Design Billy Cooke, Stu Ellmer, Lucas Gough
10 Jaïro Riedewald 21 Az alkmaar 30 Talking tactics
Contributors Robin Johnson, Ed Dowling, Joe Turner,
36 conference catch-up
Ian King, Peter Manning, Patrick
40 away day stories
Rosanio, Sebastian Frej Photography Neil Everitt, Peter Hurn, Sebastian Frej, Pinnacle Photo Agency, Kontent Haus, Getty Printer Bishops Printers
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50 continental quiz 51 from the terraces
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JAÏRO Over seven years at Crystal Palace, Dutch midfielder Jaïro Riedewald made himself something of a fan favourite in South London with his commitment to the wider cause. Here, he reflects on his time with the Eagles, and gives his view on tonight’s opponents from his native Netherlands. Interview: Jack Lacey-Hatton
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az alkmaar
Az aLkmaar Domestically Alkmaar have had a strong start to 2025/26. A late defeat at NEC Nijmegen is the only blemish on their record so far. De Kaasboeren lie third in the table at the time of writing, with an impressive 2-0 away win at Ajax last month the highlight so far. The goals of former Tottenham academy graduate Troy Parrott have been a key ingredient. Parrott first moved to Netherlands in 2024, with the Republic of Ireland international taking just 35 games to score his first 20 goals. He won the Eredivisie Player of the Month last December and they will look to him to provide the attacking threat this evening. Starting in the second qualifying round of the Conference League, AZ were given a major scare in the first leg when defeated 4-3 by Finnish side Ilves. They hit back in style with a 5-0 win in the second leg, going on to progress smoothly in two further qualifying rounds, with wins over Vaduz and Levski Sofia. The league phase didn’t get off to a smooth start, Alexandre Penetra sent off after two minutes in a 4-0 defeat to AEK Larnaca. A home win over Slovan Bratislava on matchday two got the campaign back on track, with AZ arriving in South London level on points with Palace in the league table.
22
Position
3rd
Points
24
Top Scorer Troy Parrott
8
Most Assists Sven Mijnans
5
away
European regulars since their first appearance in the UEFA Cup in 1977/78, AZ Alkmaar are widely regarded as the biggest club in Netherlands outside of the traditional big three of Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven. Hailing from North Holland, AZ have twice won the Eredivisie, last lifting the title in 2008/09 under the management of former Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal. They were also cup winners in 2013, De Kaasboeren’s most recent major honour. They came mightily close to another league championship in 2020, only for the interruption of the Covid-19 pandemic to deny them. At the time the league was suspended AZ were second only on goal difference to Ajax, level on points, with a decision later made to curtail the season early with no champions crowned. AZ have consistently finished in the top five in recent seasons. 2024/25 was one of their best campaigns of recent times, winning the majority of their league games for a fifth-place finish and reaching the domestic cup final. They were cruelly denied on penalties in the final, after Go Ahead Eagles scored a 99th-minute equaliser to force a shootout.
this season
home
season so far -
third
recent history -
az alkmaar
1-0
“Slovan Bratislava didn't perform well, but they did have seven players in the starting line-up who played in the Champions League last year, so the victory was a very good performance for us. We want to repeat that.” M. Martens
az alkmaar √ slovan bratislava Thursday 23 October / AFAS Stadion
11 Substitutes 9
T. Parrott
21
D. Kwakman
27
R-Z. Daal
sadiq
17
7
jensen
patati
10
26
6
mijnans
12
H. Verhulst
15
M. Chavez
22
E. Dijkstra
23
B. van Duijl
34
4
3
30
25
L. Zeefuik
de wit
dekker
goes
kasius
33
M. Sin
41
J. Zoet
goal cards
smit
koopmeiners
1 owusu-oduro subs
match recap AZ Alkmaar returned to winning ways in Europe by edging out Slovan Bratislava 1-0 at home thanks to a solitary goal from Sven Mijnans. With talisman Troy Parrott on the bench, Alkmaar were unable to turn their dominance of possession and territory into goals. But they were able to breakthrough just before half-time. Mijnans reacted smartly to connect with a low cross from Denso Kasius, his effort finding the far corner via the hands of Takac. The goal proved enough to get AZ up and running in the league phase. They sit 21st in the league table going into matchday three, as they look to finish in the top eight and advance without the need for the play-off round.
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conference league
leaguephase pos Club P
W
D
L
F
A
GD Pts
1
2
2
0
0
5
0
5
6
2
2
2
0
0
5
0
5
6
3
2
2
0
0
5
1
4
6
4
2
2
0
0
4
0
4
6
5
2
2
0
0
4
0
4
6
6
2
2
0
0
2
0
2
6
7
2
1
1
0
4
2
2
4
8
2
1
1
0
3
1
2
4
9
2
1
1
0
3
2
1
4
10
2
1
1
0
2
1
1
4
11
2
1
1
0
2
1
1
4
12
2
1
0
1
7
3
4
3
13
2
1
0
1
5
1
4
3
14
2
1
0
1
5
3
2
3
15
2
1
0
1
4
2
2
3
16
2
1
0
1
2
1
1
3
17
2
1
0
1
4
4
0
3
18
2
1
0
1
2
2
0
3
19
2
1
0
1
1
1
0
3
20
2
1
0
1
1
2
-1
3
21
2
1
0
1
1
4
-3
3
22
2
1
0
1
2
6
-4
3
23
2
0
2
0
2
2
0
2
24
2
0
2
0
2
2
0
2
25
2
0
2
0
1
1
0
2
26
2
0
1
1
1
2
-1
1
27
2
0
1
1
0
1
-1
1
28
2
0
1
1
1
3
-2
1
29
2
0
1
1
1
3
-2
1
30
2
0
1
1
0
3
-3
1
31
2
0
0
2
1
3
-2
0
32
2
0
0
2
0
2
-2
0
33
2
0
0
2
1
6
-5
0
34
2
0
0
2
0
5
-5
0
35
2
0
0
2
1
7
-6
0
36
2
0
0
2
2
9
-7
0
shakhtar √ breidablik sparta praha √ rakÓw mainz √ fiorentina celje √ legia warszawa kups kuopio √ slovan bratislava aek athens √ shamrock rovers samsunspor √ hamrun spartans aek larnaca √ aberdeen noah √ sigma olomouc sk rapid √ UNIVERSITATEA craiova Dynamo kyiv √ zrinjski crystal palace √ az alkmaar rayo vallecano √ lech poznan lincoln red imps √ rijeka shkËndija √ jagiellonia häcken √ strasbourg lausanna-sport √ omonoia shelbourne √ drita
All statistics correct as of 17:00 Tuesday, 4th November. Fixtures to be played Thursday, 6th November.
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Crystal palace f.c. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 17 18 19 20 21 23 24 26 28 29 31 34 38 42 44 55 59
Dean HENDERSON (GK) Daniel MUÑOZ Tyrick MITCHELL Maxence LACROIX Marc GUÉHI Ismaïla SARR Jefferson LERMA Eddie NKETIAH Yéremy PINO Christantus UCHE Jean-Philippe MATETA Nathaniel CLYNE Daichi KAMADA Will HUGHES Adam WHARTON Romain ESSE Jaydee CANVOT Borna SOSA Chris RICHARDS Cheick DOUCOURÉ Naouirou AHAMADA Remi MATTHEWS (GK) Chadi RIAD Caleb KPORHA Kaden RODNEY Walter BENÍTEZ (GK) Justin DEVENNY Rio CARDINES
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az alkmaar 1 Rome-Jayden OWUSU-ODURO (GK) 2 Seiya MAIKUMA 3 Wouter GOES 4 Maxim DEKKER 5 Alexandre PENETRA 6 Peer KOOPMEINERS 7 Weslley PATATI 8 Jordy CLASIE 9 Troy PARROTT 10 Sven MIJNANS 11 Ibrahim SADIQ 12 Hobie VERHULST (GK) 14 Andrea NATALI 15 Mateo CHÁVEZ 17 Isak JENSEN 21 Dave KWAKMAN 22 Elijah DIJKSTRA 23 Billy VAN DUIJL 25 Lequincio ZEEFUIK 26 Kees SMIT 27 Ro-Zangelo DAAL 30 Denso KASIUS 31 Daniël VIRGINIO DEEN (GK) 33 Matej ŠÍN 34 Mees DE WIT 35 Mexx MEERDINK 41 Jeroen ZOET (GK)