AZ had started the Eredivisie season with five consecutive wins and hosted promoted Willem II in the AFAS Stadion to kick off Round 6 of the Dutch league.
Celebrating his 350th Eredivisie appearance, midfielder Jordy Clasie scored just his second league goal since October 2023 to give AZ the lead after a complete stalemate in the opening half hour - Calvin Stengs found Mexx Meerdink in the penalty box, who then laid it off for Clasie to roll it into Maxime Delanghe's far corner.
The goal put a dagger in Willem II's hopes, with the Tilburg side having won just one point from the opening five rounds and failing to get a shot on target in the first 80 minutes in Alkmaar.
With AZ controlling the second half but falling short of expectations, Willem II weren't out of the contest just yet and shockingly found their way back in it via Devin Haen, who virtually earned the visitors their second point with their first attempt on goal all night in the 81st minute.
It was all hands on deck for AZ, where manager Leeroy Echteld brought on striker Bendeguz Kovacs for his Eredivisie debut, as well as last week's match winner Ayoub Oufkir. It was Brazilian winger Weslley Patati who got the biggest shot at securing a late win for AZ, but failed to do so after scooping a cross over the bar from inside the 6-yard box.
The winning streak of the Eredivisie leaders came to an unlikely end in Alkmaar, where winless Willem II took home a valuable point in the relegation fight. AZ ran a bad rehearsal ahead of next week, when the Alkmaar side visit Sunderland in their first UEFA Europa League game of the season.
