AZ Alkmaar continue their good run

AZ Alkmaar continue their good run

Reigning Eredivisie champions AZ Alkmaar climbed to the top of the table with a 2-1 victory over Willem II.

Australian Brett Holman put them in front in the seventh minute and after Sergio Zijler levelled for the Tilburg side in the 23rd minute, AZ restored their lead seconds later through Hector Moreno to make it four wins from five games so far.

AZ needed just a point to climb above Feyenoord and FC Twente - who play each other on Sunday - in order to go top and they got the perfect start when Holman drilled in a left-foot shot from the edge of the box which Willem II goalkeeper Maikel Aerts could only stand and watch.

Willem II almost equalised two minutes later as Said Boutahar hit the crossbar, the ball rebounding into play and AZ were able to scramble it clear.

Boutahar was then involved in Willem II's equaliser as his corner from the right was headed home by Zijler into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

But parity was short-lived for the visitors as Ronald Koeman's team hit back within a minute as Moreno got the ball in the left channel and drilled a 20-yard shot into Aerts' top left-hand corner.

It took until almost 20 minutes from time for either side to fashion another decent chance as the AZ goalscorers linked up, with Holman laying on an opportunity for Moreno who fired wide.

Mounir El Hamdaoui, last season's Eredivisie top scorer with 23 goals, went close to finishing the game off but pulled a shot just wide with two minutes to go after going through on goal against Aerts.