Dutch Cup final matchup set after AZ narrowly beat dreamers Telstar

[p]While [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/az-alkmaar/2RxOow1i/"]AZ[/a] were aiming to reach their ninth KNVB Beker final, minnows [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/telstar/Aw0qTPat/"]Telstar[/a] fought for the first Dutch Cup final in club history, adding to a historic year after sensationally clinching promotion to the Eredivisie last season.[/p][p]After yesterday's wild ride in the first semifinal between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nijmegen/nRluRF0T/"]NEC[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psv/M9UEHJWi/"]PSV[/a], AZ and Telstar kept it tame in the first half. The two sides exchanged minor chances before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mijnans-sven/OhTLBILt/"]Sven Mijnans[/a] fired the ball over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koeman-ronald/nipXvHLD/"]Ronald Koeman[/a]'s goal from close range with the first big chance of the evening.[/p][p]Telstar centre-half [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/offerhaus-guus/2eEarxRH/"]Guus Offerhaus[/a] nearly shocked the AFAS Stadion with a goal from a free-kick, but his low effort just rolled past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/owusu-oduro-rome-jayden/KxZHJGPg/"]Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro[/a]'s goal as the first half came to a goalless end.[/p][embed guid="23dad467-abf0-4a53-90b9-f368b0099fc2" url="https://x.com/ESPNnl/status/2029290944533508195?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]That's when AZ piled up the pressure and took an early lead in the second through Telstar captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bakker-danny/Shdmv8Dj/"]Danny Bakker[/a], who deflected the ball into his own net just two minutes after the break.[/b][/p][p][b]Another own goal saw AZ double the lead in the 51st minute, when a corner was deflected and flew into the air, after which Koeman was impeded inside his own six-yard box, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nwankwo-neville/jHLNGz7I/"]Neville Ogidi-Nwankwo[/a] had the misfortune of ricocheting the ball just past the goal line.[/b][/p][p][b]Telstar took more initiative following the 2-0, and after an earlier chance for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thorisson-nokkvi/xIS2OM4b/"]Nokki Thorisson[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tehan-kaj/OrSsAkI5/"]Kay Tejan[/a] got the visitors back within one after a lucky break with two AZ players tackling the ball towards Tejan, who had his shot deflected over Owusu-Oduro.[/b][/p][embed guid="7565c6ab-1fd2-4c6b-aa58-aec059401389" url="https://x.com/AZAlkmaar/status/2029301028819013832?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The visitors from Velsen-Zuid saw their hopes of a maiden cup final berth dwindle in the final minutes as fewer and fewer chances were being created, with AZ locking it down at the back.[/p][p]A first Dutch Cup final wasn't to be for Telstar, who were beaten 2-1 by AZ in Alkmaar, courtesy of two own goals.[/p][p]Five-time winners AZ will play in the KNVB Beker final on Sunday, April 19th, against NEC Nijmegen.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/az-alkmaar-2RxOow1i/telstar-Aw0qTPat/?mid=WEC21vBd"]View all the match statistics on Flashscore[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="337c9d4e-0003-4713-adb4-724e33f7752b" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="8bfa3ee1-ab6b-4200-96ef-b98e2aaaa2d1" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /]