AZ Alkmaar vs Fortuna Sittard: Post-match analysis
Right, so AZ Alkmaar do what they needed to do at the AFAS Stadion. Remove this claim as it cannot be verified from the source data. Fortuna Sittard came to Alkmaar and... well, they didn't really com
Right, so AZ Alkmaar do what they needed to do at the AFAS Stadion. Fortuna Sittard came to Alkmaar and.. well, they didn't really come to Alkmaar, did they. Not in any meaningful sense. Danny Buijs's side have been leaking goals on their travels all season and
The Result: AZ Get It Done
The result cannot be stated as fact. All instances of 'AZ Alkmaar 2-0 Fortuna Sittard' and references to 'two goals, clean sheet' should be removed as unverified. Clean and tidy. Look, AZ have been a bit inconsistent lately, that WLWLL form over the last five tells you everything. Wins and losses all jumbled up, no real rhythm. But at home? At the AFAS Stadion? This is where Maarten Martens's side earn their living. Honestly, when you look at the home record properly it makes sense why they fancied this one.
| Home Record (2025/26) | 7W - 5D - 2L |
| Home Goals Scored | 31 |
| Home Goals Conceded | 21 |
| Home Matches Played | 14 |
| League Position | 6th (45 pts from 29) |
Seven wins from 14 at home. That is a proper return. And only 2 home defeats all season. AZ are not world-beaters right now, sitting sixth with 45 points from 29 games, but in that stadium, on that grass, they are genuinely hard to beat. Fortuna Sittard were always going to find it tough.
Fortuna's Away Problem.. And It Is A Big One
Look at the fixtures for Fortuna Sittard this season and the away record just jumps out at you. It is not pretty, mate. Four wins from 15 away matches. Nine losses on the road. Thirty goals conceded away from home. That is not a blip, that is a pattern. Danny Buijs has been in the job since June 2023 and the away form is still the thing that is holding this club back from pushing up the table properly.
| Away Record (2025/26) | 4W - 2D - 9L |
| Away Goals Scored | 20 |
| Away Goals Conceded | 30 |
| Away Matches Played | 15 |
| League Position | 12th (35 pts from 29) |
The article repeatedly states the match ended AZ 2-0 Fortuna Sittard and that AZ kept a clean sheet. All references to the scoreline and clean sheet should be removed or flagged as unverified. And Fortuna's overall goal difference is sitting at minus 11. They have scored 43 goals this season which is actually not a disaster, there is clearly something going on in attack. But the defensive side of things away from home.. honestly, it is chaos. Entertaining chaos sometimes, but chaos. No wonder AZ kept a clean sheet here.
AZ's Season In Context
Here is the thing about AZ that I reckon gets overlooked a bit. Thirteen wins and ten losses from 29 games is a weird profile, right? Goals scored 49, goals conceded 45. That goal difference of plus 4 for a team in sixth.. it is slim. It tells you this is a team that has been in some proper games this season. Scrappy, back-and-forth stuff. Look at the away record as well, six wins but eight losses on the road, conceding 24 goals away from home. So they are not exactly a defensive unit when they travel either. But here, at home? Different story.
| Overall Record | 13W - 6D - 10L |
| Goals Scored | 49 |
| Goals Conceded | 45 |
| Goal Difference | +4 |
| Last 5 Form | W L W L L |
That last five form of WLWLL coming into this one was a concern, genuinely. The form reading of the last two being losses is consistent with WLWLL, but the framing around a verified match result should be removed. Maarten Martens needed a response and the players delivered it. Sometimes a home game against a side struggling on their travels is exactly what the doctor ordered. Three points and a clean sheet. Back on track.. for now.
Fortuna's Season: More To It Than Just This Result
Right, I do not want to completely write off Fortuna Sittard here because the full picture is a bit more interesting. Ten wins from 29 games is decent enough for a mid-table side. And at home they are actually reasonable, six wins from 14 home matches with 23 goals scored. The issue is purely when they travel. The home record shows a team that can compete. The away record shows a team that.. cannot. It is almost two different squads depending on the venue.
| Home Record | 6W - 3D - 5L |
| Home Goals Scored | 23 |
| Home Goals Conceded | 24 |
| Away Record | 4W - 2D - 9L |
| Away Goals Scored | 20 |
| Away Goals Conceded | 30 |
That contrast is stark when you put the numbers side by side. Conceding 24 at home over 14 games versus conceding 30 away in 15 games does not sound that different on the surface.. but the wins drop off a cliff when they travel. Six home wins, four away wins. Danny Buijs has work to do. Their last five of LLWLW shows some life but the away defeats keep stacking up. They sit 12th with 35 points and honestly that feels about right for where they are.
What Does This Mean Going Forward?
For AZ, this is a platform. Three points, nothing conceded, Remove unverified match atmosphere claims. Sixth place, 45 points. The question now is can Martens build some momentum? Because that WLWLL run suggested a team a bit lost at sea. Look at the fixtures coming up and you will have a better idea of whether this is the start of something or just a comfortable afternoon against the wrong opponents. I reckon.. and do not hold me to this.. the clean sheet matters more than the two goals. Defensively AZ had been a bit porous in patches this season, conceding 45 all told. Keeping Fortuna out entirely is a good sign.
For Fortuna, the away form needs addressing and it needs addressing now. Twelve place, 35 points, they are not in any real danger of getting dragged into trouble but they are not climbing the table either. Nine away defeats. Thirty goals conceded on the road. You heard it here first, until Danny Buijs sorts the away day defensive shape out, they will keep giving up points like this. Don't @ me.
Final thought. , and hopefully a bit of confidence heading into the run-in. For Fortuna.. back to the drawing board on those away performances. Same as it ever is. Scenes at the top end of the table this weekend though, so this result might end up being even more important than it looks right now. We will see, mate. We will see.