Kerkez hits post, AZ and Anderlecht heading for extension – Feyenoord with Jahanbakhsh against Roma

AZ is no closer in the second half. Kerkez hits the post.

There is perhaps AZ’s best opportunity in the second half. Van Brederode goes alone towards goal after a pass from Clasie, but deviates too far out to the left. He then wants to pass to Odgaard, but forfeits the ball to Moussa Ndiaye.

Sottil does something back on behalf of Fiorentina

Riccardo Sottil made it 3-1 for Fiorentina against Lech Poznan. Coach John van den Brom’s Polish team now needs another goal for an extension. Fiorentina won the outward match 4-1.

Lech Poznan heading for stunt in Italy

Coach John van den Brom’s team reaches 3-0 at Fiorentina through Artur Sobiech. That makes it a draw over two games. Fiorentina won the outward match 4-1. A sensation is in the making. .

Norwegian Kristoffer Velde shoots Lech Poznan, the club of coach John van den Brom, to a 2-0 lead at Fiorentina with a penalty kick. One more goal and it’s tied. Fiorentina won the outward match 4-1.

AZ-AND | 60′ Card and suspension Kerkez

A foul by Kerkez on Majeed Ashimeru earns the Hungarian a yellow card. With that, the left-back is suspended for the possible first semifinal.

AZ dominates in the first 15 minutes after halftime, but does not yet create any chances.

AS Roma starts with Wijnaldum, without Dybala and Abraham against Feyenoord

AS Roma will start without Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham for the home match against Feyenoord in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Both attackers were injured during their team’s lost away game at De Kuip (1-0) last week. They will be on the bench,

Georginio Wijnaldum has a starting place against his old club. The midfielder, born in Rotterdam, filled in for AS Roma after halftime last week. The winner of the duel will face Bayer Leverkusen or Belgian Union in the semifinals.

AZ-AND | Second half without Pavlidis

With Mayckel Lahdo for the injured Pavlidis, the man of the two goals, AZ starts the second half. A setback for AZ. Odgaard moves but the striker, Lahdo is on the outside right.

Setup Feyenoord: Jahanbakhsh for Paixão

No surprises at Feyenoord in Rome. One change compared to the last game with SC Cambuur though. Alireza Jahanbakhsh is on the outside right at the expense of Igor Paixão.

Spring night in Rome: ‘All quiet, a reddish-yellow glow’

Van den Brom leads in Florence

Lech Poznan, coach John van den Brom’s team, is 1-0 ahead at Fiorentina at halftime thanks to a goal by Afonso Sousa. The Poles lost the outward match 4-1.

Points penalty Juventus suspended: provisional from seventh to third place

The 15 match point deduction penalty imposed on Juventus earlier this season has been suspended by order of Italy’s highest sports court.

It’s halftime in Alkmaar. The start went according to the dream scenario with two early goals. But after that, the Alkmaarders should have scored more against the weak Anderlecht. As a result, things got exciting in the second half.

Half-time score: AZ-Anderlecht 2-0 (0-2)

AZ-AND | 42′ Another chance AZ!

Another chance for AZ a few minutes before halftime. Van Brederode puts Pavlidis in position. The Greek just scores and there is a flag for offside.

AZ-AND | 32′ Splendid attack

What an AZ attack. Left back Kerkez moves deep into Anderlecht’s right half, sends Odgarad deep and gets the ball back from the Dane. The splendid attack gets a lesser ending. Kerkez shoots over.

It’s 2-0 and that’s nice for AZ, but the score could have been much bigger already. Pavlidis got another chance and also Mijnans, Odgaard and Reijnders could have scored with a bit of luck in Alkmaar. Anderlecht is gasping for breath.

AZ-AND | 13′ GOAL AZ!

With a beautiful pass, Reijnders sends Odgaard away (Murillo lifts the offside) and he shifts the ball to the striker Pavlidis who runs along. AZ has now made up for Brussels’ 2-0!

Also early goal in Florence

Lech Poznan, coach John van den Brom’s team, takes a 1-0 lead at Fiorentina through Afonso Sousa. The Poles lost the outward match 4-1.

Vangelis Pavlidis shoots the ball in via the inside of the post. Verbruggen dives to the wrong corner and is beaten.

AZ-AND | 3′ Penalty Kick AZ!

What a start! Van Brederode passes to Kerkez and he is hit by Michael Murillo, the man of the first goal in Brussels. The VAR still checks, but also sees a penalty kick in it.

The ball is rolling in Alkmaar. Can AZ provide a turnaround against Anderlecht?

Koeman and Lodewijks present

In the stands in Alkmaar: national coach Ronald Koeman with goalkeeper coach Patrick Lodewijks next to him. The latter is sitting there for Dutch Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who made his debut in the Orange squad last month.

Feyenoord player Danilo painfully in the wrong on Twitter

Feyenoord striker Danilo appeared to be off the mark on Thursday. The Brazilian asked on Twitter who among his followers would travel with him to Rome: “Important match tonight, who will travel with you?”

But. Feyenoord supporters are not welcome at the Stadio Olimpico. Danilo quickly deleted the tweet but posted a new one: “Show your support from Rotterdam.”

AZ coach Jansen keeps turnaround possible: ‘Because we believe in it’

Wednesday at the press conference, AZ coach Pascal Jansen showed optimism for the return game between AZ and Anderlecht in the Conference League quarterfinals. The Alkmaarders hope to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

Police arrest some 20 fans AS Roma after striking weapons found

Italian police have arrested some 20 supporters of AS Roma. This happened after clubs, percussion weapons, hammers and sticks were found in the trunk of a car. According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the fans were identified and taken to a police station.

Italian police are on mass alert to prevent disturbances surrounding the game between AS Roma and Feyenoord in the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Rome’s local triangle has deployed some 1,500 officers. They are surveying the historic center and carrying out checks at the airport, central train station and around highways close to the capital.

Fans of Feyenoord are not welcome in Rome. Yet hundreds of supporters of the club from Rotterdam have come to Italy. As far as is known, no major disturbances have yet occurred. However, the police did prevent a group of some two hundred AS Roma supporters from attacking an Irish pub where some forty Feyenoord fans were present Wednesday night. The Dutch supporters were taken to their hotels by the police.

An unknown number of Feyenoord supporters still managed to get tickets for the match at a sold-out Stadio Olimpico.

Anderlecht line-up: Verbruggen under the crossbar again

Last week he was the standout and 20-year-old Bart Verbruggen hopes to keep his goal clean again today.

Lineup AZ: no surprises

AZ will take on Anderlecht with the same eleven as in the last game with Fortuna Sittard. Myron van Brederode replaces the injured Jesper Karlsson at left forward.

AZ’s selection arrives at the stadium in Alkmaar for the duel with Anderlecht. Soon we will know the lineup.

Mazraoui hints at departure from Bayern Munich

Footballer Noussair Mazraoui is not ruling out a departure from Bayern Munich next summer. The Moroccan international says so in an interview with the newspaper Bild. The former Ajacied is dissatisfied with the number of playing minutes he gets at the German champion.

After playing with his country at the World Cup late last year, Mazraoui suffered an injury and fell ill. His comeback was in March, but since then he has hardly been used. Since new coach Thomas Tuchel has been in place, that has not changed.

“In the first half of the season I fought my way into the team,” Mazraoui told Bild. “In that period I was able to show what I can do. Now it feels like people have forgotten about me, although maybe those are big words. But in soccer, you are as good as you were in your last game. And my last game is from a long time ago. I’m not even second choice anymore, but third or fourth.”

That got him thinking about his future. “Still, I don’t want to think about giving up yet. In soccer, things can change quickly. But if the situation stays like this, it’s not what I want and it’s not what I deserve.”

Of the other former Ajax players in Munich, only Matthijs de Ligt is almost always in action. Daley Blind and Ryan Gravenberch are also mainly on the bench.

Laughter never far away from Kökçü, who blossoms in big duels: ‘I love that’

“I do love such matches.” Orkun Kökçü’s broad smile betrays that the Feyenoord captain is delightful in his skin and very much looking forward to tonight’s match against AS Roma in the quarterfinals of the Europa League.

This is understandable, as he has often excelled this season when Feyenoord has faced an opponent of stature.

FC Basel fans not welcome in Nice even after appeal

The fans of Swiss soccer club Basel are definitely not welcome at the match against OGC Nice. The two clubs meet Thursday night in the French city in the second match in the Conference League quarter-finals. Authorities in France announced Tuesday that Swiss supporters will not be allowed to show up in the city until 8 p.m. Friday evening for security reasons.

FC Basel disagreed and had gone to the French courts, but they ruled Thursday afternoon that the ban stands. Authorities in France decided to take action because riots broke out in Marseille last year at the match between FC Basel and Olympique Marseille. Earlier this season, things went wrong with Nice fans at the home match against 1. FC Köln.

ROM-FEY | Back to last week.

After the thick tears in Tirana, Rotterdam’s revenge is now a reality. Almost a year after the lost Conference League final, Feyenoord dealt a first blow to AS Roma this time: 1-0. With a starring role for Mats Wieffer.

This also happened Thursday night at the second instead of the third European level. In the last eight in the Europa League to be exact, with remaining superpowers like Juventus and Manchester United.

AZ-AND | Just back to last week

AZ is still far away from the semi-finals in the Conference League. Especially a weak first half did the Alkmaar players in the outward game with Anderlecht: 2-0.

That the duel is not yet decided, AZ proved when it rallied in the second half. But a series of big chances was wasted on Pascal Jansen’s team. So the Alkmaar players will have to repair the damage in a week’s time at their own stadium if they want to claim a place in the last four.

ROM-FEY | ‘I hate Rotterdam’

‘Cozy’ stickers in central Rome. Fans of AS Roma have plastered the city with stickers reading “Odio Rotterdam,” “I hate Rotterdam.

AZ-AND | Outlook: ‘Faith’ key word AZ, aiming for European turnaround without Karlsson

He repeated it a few times, leaving no doubt. Yes, AZ fully believes in a turnaround against Anderlecht, Thursday night, in the return game in the quarter-finals of the Conference League. Why shouldn’t the Alkmaarders be able to advance a round after all?

Of course, because of the 2-0 deficit, it will be a tough job, agreed coach Pascal Jansen. However, he draws confidence from a recent comeback in the English league, at the expense of leaders Arsenal.

Jansen: “The upcoming, possible champion in the Premier League was ahead 2-0 against West Ham and then in that match it also becomes 2-2. In soccer it is not out of the question that you score two goals and don’t concede anything more yourself. That would mean an extension tomorrow.”

ROM-FEY | Italian police take Feyenoord fans to safety after assault in Rome

A group of about 100 to 150 Feyenoord supporters were besieged by Italian hooligans in Rome last night. Police moved the supporters to safety by taking them to their hotels by city buses, writes Rijnmond.

Tonight at 9 p.m., Feyenoord will play the Europa League quarterfinals against AS Roma. Italian authorities have ruled that for security reasons no Feyenoord supporters are allowed at the match, but several hundred fans have traveled to Italy anyway. A delegation of the Rotterdam police also went to Rome as a precaution.

We are heading into a hot night of European soccer and it starts soon. AZ will host Anderlecht in the quarterfinals of the Conference League as early as 6:45 p.m. The Alkmaarders have to work hard, as they lost 2-0 in Belgium last week.

Later in the evening, Feyenoord defended a 1-0 lead against AS Roma in Rome. Coach Arne Slot’s men kick off at 9 p.m. at Stadio Olimpico.

Below is tonight’s full schedule.