AZ 1, Sparta Rotterdam 0

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Interstat) — A late second-half goal from substitute Kees Smit gave AZ a narrow 1-0 victory over Sparta Rotterdam in an Eredivisie match at Sparta-Stadion Het Kasteel on Sunday. The match, the first for both clubs in the 2025-26 Dutch top-flight season, was a tightly contested affair largely defined by defensive discipline until Smit’s decisive intervention in the 69th minute broke the deadlock. AZ began the match as the heavy favorite, with Interstat’s ELO system giving the visiting side a 71.5 percent probability of winning. The pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator had anticipated a 2-1 scoreline for… Read more...