Ali Messaoud |

Welcome to week three of our Eredivisie Team of the Week which leads into our Eredivisie ‘Player of the Season’ competition. All players have performed so well this weekend that Martijn Hilhorst and Will Burns have decided they should be in our team of the week. Each player in the eleven receives one point and whichever player is declared ‘Player of the Week’, he receives an extra point.

GOALKEEPER

JEROEN ZOET (PSV): Second week in a row for Zoet after keeping Ajax at bay to clinch a vital 3-1 win for PSV in the title race, even this early on in the season.

DEFENDERS

JOSHUA BRENET (PSV): The young defender held firm against the likes of Lasse Schone and Davy Klaassen on Sunday and made attacking runs with ease.

MAIKEL VAN DER WERFF (PEC Zwolle): The big defender, who missed a penalty in the Europa League midweek, made amends with a great performance capped off with a free-kick goal in the 2-1 win over Vitesse.

LUCAS BIJKER (SC Cambuur): Man of the match in the 1-0 win over Heracles on Friday with a match-saving tackle in the dying seconds of the game.

AARON MEIJERS (ADO Den Haag): Sitting in at left-back, Meijers linked play up well and caused many problems to Groningen in ADO’s 3-0 win on Sunday.

MIDFIELDERS

ALI MESSAOUD (Willem II): An influential performance topped off with a great goal leading Willem II to their first win of the season, 3-0 over AZ Alkmaar.

ROLAND ALBERG (ADO Den Haag): Alberg is playing the best football of his life at the moment and created two excellent goals to dispatch FC Groningen with ease 3-0.

GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM (PSV): Wijnaldum is in the TOTW for the second week in a row and was a constant threat to Frank de Boer’s Ajax on Sunday. Four shots and four successful dribbles earns his another week in our team.

ATTACKERS

ADNANE TIGAHOUDINI (NAC Breda): Young winger Tigahoudini frightened the life out of FC Twente’s defenders and won his side an unlikely point against FC Twente.

LUCIANO NARSINGH (PSV): Narsingh was excellent and looked back to his best so his named our Player Of The Week. With an assist and an excellent goal, Narsingh combined with Depay looks a mouthwatering prospect this season for PSV.

TOMMY OAR (FC Utrecht): The young Australian seems to improve every time he plays and created both goals in Utrecht’s shock win against Feyenoord.

Click here to see the ‘Player of the Season’ standings.

Click the name above to follow Will on Twitter.

TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

SATURDAY 23RD AUGUST 2014

WILLEM II 3 – 0 AZ ALKMAAR

Willem II blew AZ Alkmaar away 3-0 on Saturday evening to show that the Eredivisie newcomers are not pushovers writes Will Burns.

The hosts dominated throughout the first-half and nearly got off to a flyer after just three minutes had it not been for Robbie Haemhouts blazing over from just ten yards out.

The Tilburg side did take the lead after just 14 minutes of play through Brazilian striker Bruno Andrade after Ben Sahar capitalised on a terrible mistake by AZ right-back Matías Johansson. Caught in the corner with the ball with Sahar hunting him down, the Swedish international laid the ball into the path of goalkeeper Esteban. The pass did not reach and the Israeli striker nicked the ball away, laid into Andrade inside the box who tapped home. AZ coach Marco van Basten did not looked impressed as his opposite number, Pierluigi Collina-lookalike Jurgen Streppel, punched the air with delight.

Goalscorer Andrade did not last long after his goal picking up a calf strain and was replaced by the always energetic Charlton Vicento on 20 minutes. AZ had injury troubles too with Markus Henriksen being forced off with a knock for Thom Haye some six minutes later.

Streppel’s men nearly doubled their advantage on 28 minutes as Sahar and Ali Messaoud, formerly of AZ, linked up well before the latter rattled the foot of the post with a low drive, however a minute later Messaoud would have more luck.

A long throw from Tim Cornelisse caused major problems for the AZ defence and the ball fell perfectly in the area for Messaoud. Holding off the challenge of Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, the midfielder placed a shot which again hit the post, however the rebound landed at his feet to tap home to make it 2-0.

AZ obviously desperate for a goal pressed for the remainder of the first half but returning goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou, suspended last weekend, dealt with only weak efforts from the poor attack of Guus Hupperts, Mikhail Rosheuvel and Muamer Tankovic.

After a slow start to the second period, AZ came close. Substitute Thom Haye rose above everyone at the front post from a Hupperts corner but Lamprou did really well to tip the ball over as the 9,500 inside the Koning Willem II Stadion erupted out of their seats.

As AZ continued to press, Willem II sealed the game off with a third with five minutes to go. Caught out at the back, Charlton Vicento outsprinted Johansson and clipped the ball over the onrushing Esteban to confirm the win.

AZ were very poor here and will need to improve vastly away to FC Dordrecht next weekend. Willem II are also on their travels as they face Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer.

TEAMS

WILLEM II: Lamprou, Cornelisse, Peters, S. Wuytens (Van der Struijk 80), Heymans, Haemhouts (Ippel 75), Messaoud, D. Wuytens, Ondaan, Andrade (Vicento 21), Sahar.

SUBS NOT USED: Meul, Heerkens, Sporkslede, Derkx.

GOALS: Andrade 14, Messaoud 29, Vicento 86.

BOOKINGS: Ondaan 33.

AZ: Esteban, Johansson, Gouweleeuw, Wuytens, Poulsen, Gudelj, Henriksen (Haye 27), Ortiz, Hupperts, Tankovic, Rosheuvel (Elm 63).

SUBS NOT USED: Rochet, Luckassen, Hoedt, Haps.

GOALS: None.

BOOKINGS: Wuytens 37.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Ali Messaoud (Willem II)