AZ turn it late at Heerenveen to go top | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: AZ beat Heerenveen 3-2 at the Abe Lenstra Stadion. Ro Daal put the visitors ahead in the seventh minute with a right-footed strike. Nolhan Courtens levelled (21.) and Ringo Meerveld swept the hosts in front (30.), but momentum flipped when substitute Valdemar Byskov set up Mexx Meerdink for the equaliser (69.) and Ayoub Oufkir hit a late winner (83.). AZ produced eight shots on target from 15 attempts, while Heerenveen managed five from 14. The leaders stay perfect after five wins and host Willem II next, while Heerenveen, now 12th, welcome Telstar.

Player of the Match: Mexx Meerdink drove the comeback, scoring the equaliser, assisting the late winner and registering two shots on target to tilt the contest AZ's way.

Stat of the Match: AZ registered eight shots on target, a sharper edge than Heerenveen's five.

Three Things We Learned: AZ's bench changed the game, with Valdemar Byskov supplying an assist and Ayoub Oufkir scoring after coming on. Heerenveen led at the interval through Nolhan Courtens and Ringo Meerveld but could not add to five shots on target. AZ won 66.7% of their tackles, reflecting the bite that underpinned their second half surge.