AZ Alkmaar beat Galatasaray 4-1 at AFAS Stadion to take an important lead.
AZ Alkmaar took a big step toward towards qualifying for the UEFA Europa League (UEL) Round of 16 following a dominating 4-1 in the first leg of their play-off tie.
The win marks their fourth straight victory across all competitions.
The Dutch side came out strong and grabbed an early lead in the 12th minute, when Sven Mijnans curled in a stunning free-kick from distance.
The Turkish outfit went up the other end and netted the equaliser when Alvaro Morata collected the ball over the top of the Alkmaar defence, but his reverse pass was cleared to the edge of the box, where Roland Sallai unleashed an unstoppable first-time strike into the top corner.
However, Alkmaar restored their lead before the break. In an attempt to clear the ball, Barış Alper Yılmaz fouled Seiya Maikuma in the box, and Troy Parrott calmly slotted home his fourth UEL goal of the campaign from the penalty spot.
Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk would have hoped for a stronger second-half response, but his plans unraveled just six minutes after the restart. Kaan Ayhan picked up a second yellow card, leaving the Turkish side with 10 men. Things got worse minutes later as Alkmaar extended their lead as Alkmaar doubled their advantage. A smooth passing sequence ended with Jordy Clasie receiving the ball inside the box and slotting it past Fernando Muslera with ease.
With a two-goal cushion and a man advantage, Alkmaar sealed the win in the 66th minute. David Møller Wolfe reacted quickest to a rebound after Mijnans’ shot was saved, tapping home to put the game beyond reach.
The Dutch side coasted through the remainder of the half, maintaining their advantage going into next week’s second-leg tie in Istanbul, where Galatasaray are unbeaten in 15 home games across all competitions.
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