Shakhtar overcome late AZ threat to reach Conference League semi finals

AZ's temporary manager Lee-Roy Echtold opted for a new starting lineup following last week's 3-0 loss, introducing six alterations given that the Alkmaar side is due to meet NEC Nijmegen in Sunday's KNVB Cup final.

Shakhtar's commanding performance in Krakow during the previous leg left them firmly in charge of the matchup, requiring AZ to pull off an extraordinary European recovery at home to move on.

That said, they failed to create any significant early breakthroughs against the substantial gap, with Mexx Meerdink managing their initial and sole effort on goal in the opening half just prior to the 15-minute point, directing it directly into the grasp of Dmytro Riznyk. Although Ibrahim Sadiq came close to reaching the far post with a header from the back just before half time, he did not test the Ukrainian goalkeeper.

AZ showed greater fight than in the opening encounter at this stage, yet the away team repeatedly created hazardous opportunities while attacking on the break. Still, without the urgency to find the net due to their substantial advantage, they displayed insufficient focus and precision in the attacking areas.

Following the interval, Shakhtar seemed to intensify their efforts, determined to eliminate any lingering chances AZ had of reaching the last four.

It felt inevitable that one of the Ukrainian side's swift counters would yield the first goal, and it arrived shortly before the 60th minute, as Alisson Santana, who netted twice in the prior match, scored again by placing Kauã Elias's pass into the bottom corner.

At the very least, the local fans had reason to cheer around the halfway point of the second half when they equalised the aggregate score via Isak Jensen's exquisite near-range free kick that struck the post and went in.

The crowd rose once more soon afterwards thanks to Matěj Šín's cleanly hit volley into the bottom corner, creating a tense closing 10 minutes as AZ surged ahead.

Ultimately, however, their brief resurgence came too late to matter, and Shakhtar responded to claim a level result on the evening when Luca Meirelles fired through Jeroen Zoet's legs to conclude yet another rapid counter.

Once more, the Miners demonstrated their resilience away from home in this season's tournament, remaining unbeaten across all six UECL away fixtures. AZ can take some satisfaction from their showing despite the exit, and they now shift focus to the upcoming KNVB Cup final versus NEC Nijmegen at the weekend, where victory would earn them a spot in the UEFA Europa League.