Helmond Sport vs Jong AZ Match Recap - Oct 17, 2025

Helmond Sport Ignite Second-Half Flare to Overcome Jong AZ and Power Into Eerste Divisie’s Top Ten

There is a moment in every season when a team, almost imperceptibly, shifts from the drifting middle ground to the bustle of ambition. On a crisp October evening at the GS Staalwerken Stadion, Helmond Sport seized just such a moment, roaring from behind to subdue Jong AZ 4-2 in a performance drenched in resolve, invention and the sharp predatory instincts of Labinot Bajrami.

For much of the first half, uncertainty danced in the cool air. Jong AZ, mired near the Eerste Divisie’s lower reaches, played as if unburdened by consequence, stringing passes, brimming with the exuberance that so often marks reserve sides. That freedom bore fruit in the 17th minute when Wassim Bouziane, unmarked at the far post, crashed a low drive past the scrambling Helmond defense, his second goal in as many league outings and a crisp reminder of Jong AZ’s untapped potential.

Helmond, ninth in the table and flush with recent home momentum, refused to wilt. They recalibrated, pressed higher, and their intent was rewarded on 34 minutes. Lennerd Daneels, always a livewire on the left, carved inside, exchanged a clever one-two in the box, and clipped a precise shot inside the near post, sending the Stadion’s faithful into relieved applause.

Yet parity was fleeting. Jong AZ, emboldened and quick in transition, restored their lead before the interval. Sem van Duijn found a yard of space on the break and, with an economy of touches, slid the ball beyond the reach of Nordin Bakker. At 2-1, the visitors carried a slender advantage and the dangerous scent of an upset into the locker room.

But matches, like seasons, can turn on the smallest axis. The pivotal moment arrived six minutes after the break—a darting Helmond counter forcing a hurried challenge, the referee’s whistle piercing the stadium. Penalty. Labinot Bajrami, calm as a surgeon, swept the spot-kick home for his sixth goal of the campaign, knotting the contest and reanimating Helmond’s charge.

If the equalizer rattled Jong AZ, what followed was a full-scale collapse. Barely five minutes had elapsed before Bajrami again stamped his authority, capitalizing on defensive disarray to rifle home his second goal of the night. Two minutes later, with the visitors still reeling, Noah Makanza emerged from a thicket of bodies to add Helmond’s fourth—a poacher’s finish and the exclamation on a spellbinding seven-minute surge.

In the stands, the mood turned from anxious to jubilant as supporters sensed a side finally exerting its will. This was Helmond at their best: clinical in the final third, energetic in midfield, and, crucially, ruthless when momentum tilted their way. There would be no further reply from Jong AZ, whose early composure deserted them. Where Bouziane and van Duijn had threatened to script an upset, their efforts were rendered moot by a frazzled back line and a midfield that faded under the Stadion’s floodlights.

This was a victory crafted in resilience and finished with flair—the kind of statement that underscores Helmond’s steady ascent up the table. Now with 13 points from 10 matches, they leap further from the bottom half, their inconsistencies slowly dissolving into a pattern of timely wins, especially at home, where the sense of belief is growing palpable.

Jong AZ, by contrast, find themselves staring up from 17th, their 4-2 defeat the latest in a string of troubling results. Winless in three and with just two victories all season, the young side’s spirit flickered early but dimmed alarmingly against the first real wave of adversity. Their leaky defense, now 19 goals conceded, will give coaches long evenings of video review.

For Helmond, Bajrami’s form—four goals in two matches, each delivered with a striker’s swagger—offers hope of climbing higher, especially with a run of winnable fixtures ahead. Makanza’s goal, his first since August, could hint at a timely return of balance up front. Their past five matches (three wins, two defeats) suggest a team finding grit as autumn deepens, eager to distance itself from the scrum of mid-table mediocrity.

Jong AZ, meanwhile, will pore over missed chances and squandered leads, their youthful promise as yet unfulfilled. Their solitary win since September 26 now feels remote, and the upcoming weeks will test both their resolve and the patience of those tasked with developing tomorrow’s stars in today’s cauldron.

As the floodlights dimmed over GS Staalwerken Stadion, Helmond Sport could savor a night of significance—one that transformed mere points into momentum, and momentum into hope. For them, the road ahead looks inviting. For Jong AZ, it is a test of character, with little margin left for more faltering steps.