Ruthless AZ Alkmaar go for SIX

Ruthless AZ Alkmaar go for SIX

They may have lost title-winning coach Louis van Gaal, but AZ Alkmaar showed they are not going to relinquish their Eredivisie crown without a fight with a 6-0 demolition of sorry RKC Waalwijk on Saturday night.

Mounir El Hamdaoui and Maarten Martens both scored twice with Moussa Dembele and substitute Jeremain Lens also on target, five of the goals coming in the second half.

It was a second win in three games this season for new boss Ronald Koeman, who took over after Van Gaal left for Bayern Munich.

Newly promoted RKC, in contrast, are still searching for their first point.

AZ are still a point behind last year's runners-up FC Twente who moved to the top of the table, albeit temporarily, with a 1-0 triumph at ADO Den Haag.

Blaise Nkufo scored the only goal of the match in the 64th minute to leave Twente with a one-point advantage over Ajax and FC Utrecht, who both have a game in hand.

Vitesse Arnhem's woes continue as they still have only one point after falling to a 1-0 defeat at Heerenveen.

Hernan Losada's 13th-minute goal gave Heerenveen their first win of the season following a draw and a hefty 4-1 defeat last week to NEC Nijmegen.

Elsewhere, Sparta Rotterdam also picked up their first win of the new campaign after coming from behind to edge out Willem II 2-1.

Bart Biemans put Willem ahead after 15 minutes but Kevin Strootman equalised on the hour mark and Rydell Poepon grabbed the winner five minutes later.

It is Willem's second defeat in a row.