UECL: AZ Cruise Past Drita 3-0, Nearing Conference League Knockout Phase

AZ Secure big win over Drita, eyeing top spot in Conference League

AZ Alkmaar beat Drita 3-0, putting them in a great position to secure a spot in the Conference League knockout phase.

Drita's solid defence crumbled, and Jensen's goal marked the start of a tough night for them...

AZ Alkmaar cruised past Drita 3-0, putting them in a great position to secure a spot in the Conference League knockout phase. Drita had hopes of guaranteeing a top-24 finish, but AZ's strong start put them on the back foot.

And with most of the opening quarter-hour being played in Drita’s half, it came as little surprise when a simple move forged the opener 17 minutes in. A quick move downfield saw Kees Smit lay on Isak Jensen inside the box, and the Dane duly squared to Sven Mijnans for a straightforward finish.

While Drita missed out on a likely penalty by inches when Smit handballed on the edge of the box in an aerial duel, AZ remained largely in control of proceedings.

Wesley Patati was causing problems for Drita, but Besnik Krasniqi blocked his promising run. Patati also missed a great chance, heading over from a Sven Mijnans cross, and then skied a late opportunity.

Mijnans remained a difficult customer for Drita, but when he headed over the bar shortly after half-time, Jensen stole the limelight by turning goalscorer. At the end of controlled build-up play, which bore similarity to the passage that led to Mijnans’ opener, Smit played a sideways ball to Jensen on the edge of the box, and more lax Drita defending allowed him to power in a shot that appeared to bobble as it went past a frozen Faton Maloku.

🎒 Three points in the bag!

⚽️ 17. Mijnans (0-1)
⚽️ 58. Jensen (0-2)
⚽️ 90. Sadiq (0-3)#AZAlkmaar #driaz #TheFutureIsOurs pic.twitter.com/GDjJjNcuZq

— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) December 11, 2025

Drita's solid defence crumbled, and Jensen's goal marked the start of a tough night for them. To make matters worse, Mamadou Soumahoro's reckless challenge earned him a booking, and he'll miss the crucial matchday six trip to Rayo Vallecano.

In truth, the endgame was not particularly memorable, but there was still time for a third AZ strike as the clock hit 90, which came when Ibrahim Sadiq headed in on the end of a Mees de Wit cross.

With a home game against outsiders Jagiellonia to finish their somewhat chequered league phase campaign (W3, L2), AZ will feel confident of getting a win that could well see them sneak into an automatic Round of 16 qualification spot – especially after winning a European group stage or league phase away game for the first time in 10 attempts.

Meanwhile, Drita’s chances of doing likewise look all the more remote after a disappointing performance.