AZ Alkmaar recorded their third straight win in emphatic style on Friday night as they thrashed Sparta Rotterdam 6-0.
AZ lost their opening two games of the season but have bounced back in fine style and have now scored 11 goals in their last two games after winning 5-2 at Willem II last Saturday.
Mounir El Hamdaoui had them in front inside 35 seconds and three goals in the space of eight minutes midway through the second half put the result beyond doubt as Moussa Dembele notched a brace either side of Gill Swerts' strike.
El Hamdaoui got his second in the 58th minute and Niklas Moisander completed the rout two minutes later.
Sparta missed a first-half penalty on a miserable night for the visitors.
It was a one-sided affair from the start. Demi de Zeeuw's long-ball landed at the feet of El Hamdaoui, who raced into the area to fire beyond Cor Varkevisser with the game barely underway.
El Hamdoaui and Nick Van der Velden had both gone close to another before AZ's second goal arrived in the 21st minute.
Maarten Martens broke down the left and his cross picked out Dembele who found the net with a first-time shot.
Arne Slot squandered a chance for Sparta moments later and they were punished as AZ added a third in the 27th minute, Varkevisser coming off his line for a corner and missing the ball to allow Swerts an easy header.
The fourth came a minute later as Van der Velden's pass found the run of Dembele and the Belgian beat the goalkeeper with ease.
When Moisander hauled down Rydell Poepon in the 33rd minute Sparta had a chance from the penalty spot, but AZ goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved from Slot.
A superb backheel from Martens set El Hamdoaui free to curl in AZ's fifth in the 58th minute and moments later Moisander rifled the ball home from De Zeeuw's corner.
AZ continued to attack and might have scored more but they had already done more than enough damage.
