AZ climb to fifth with late flurry against Sparta Rotterdam | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: AZ beat Sparta Rotterdam 3-1. In the 65th minute, Sven Mijnans headed AZ in front from Mateo Chávez's cross. Kees Smit doubled the lead (83.), Milan Zonneveld pulled one back with a header (87.), then Troy Parrott settled it (90.). The visitors had 54.3% possession and 12 attempts, but AZ scored from three of five shots on target. AZ rise from sixth to fifth and host Noah in the UEFA Conference League next, while Sparta Rotterdam visit Heerenveen.

Player of the Match: Parrott clinched the points with a composed late finish and added two shots on target plus 25 of 26 passes, now on 13 league goals and third in the Eredivisie scoring.

Stat of the Match: AZ scored from three of five shots on target, a ruthless edge.

Three Things We Learned: Chávez paired craft with graft, supplying an assist and making six tackles. Sparta Rotterdam's route was wide and frequent, delivering 19 crosses at 36.8% accuracy alongside seven corners but only four shots on target. Alexandre Penetra led the defence with 12 clearances as AZ won 54.1% of the duels.