AZ Alkmaar 7-0 Dundee Utd (agg 7-1): Visitors suffer equal worst Euro loss by Scottish side

Dundee United slumped to the joint heaviest European defeat by a Scottish side as AZ Alkmaar marched into the Europa Conference League play-offs.

It equals 7-0 losses by Hibernian against Malmo in 2013 and Celtic to Barcelona three years later.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg, United conceded five in 23 first-half minutes.

Vangelis Pavlidis and Tijjani Reijnders both netted twice and Hakon Evjen also scored before Dani de Wit and Mayckel Lahdo added to the visitors' misery.

• Reaction & as it happened

Head coach Jack Ross said "I would like to apologise to the travelling fans" after United surpassed their heaviest European defeat - a 5-0 second-leg thumping by Dinamo Moscow the last time they qualified 10 years ago.

Indeed, they narrowly avoided suffering the worst-ever loss for a Scottish club when Pavlidis struck the post in stoppage time as AZ moved on to face Gil Vicente, the Portuguese having beaten Latvian visitors Riga 4-0 for a 5-1 aggregate win.

"For every plaudit and praise we received in the aftermath of last Thursday, we will deserve every bit of criticism we get on the back of that," Ross told BBC Scotland.

"We played against a good team in a tough venue, but we conceded six goals in 26 minutes. Heads become foggy. It's a sore, sore night for us. Pride is damaged by that."

Ross had sacrificed the flair of first-leg scorer Glenn Middleton and handed a debut to Australia left-back Aziz Behich as experienced pair Charlie Mulgrew and Ian Harkes were brought back into the side after Sunday's domestic defeat by Livingston.

The solidity shown in the first leg looked to have returned as United subdued AZ for the first quarter, but they failed to heed the warning signs as goalkeeper Mark Birighitti saved from Pavlidis and Evjen.

A flowing passing move opened up the defence and Pavlidis tapped in his third goal of the season from a Milos Kerkez cutback.

United threatened to level, but goalkeeper Hobie Verhulst superbly palmed over Harkes' athletic hitch-kick from six yards.

Visiting optimism began to dwindle as midfielder Reijnders fired low past Birighitti from 18 yards.

It disappeared completely after the United goalkeeper, moments after fumbling on the line under a Pavlidis challenge, punched thin air as he looked to meet an Evjen corner and the Greece striker headed into the empty net.

Reijnders fired home as United struggled to clear inside their penalty box before fellow midfielder Evjen rifled in a strike from 20 yards.

Any half-time advice imparted by Ross had little effect as AZ increased the lead in their first attack after the break when midfielder De Wit followed up from close range after a Pavlidis shot was blocked.

Substitute winger Lahdo drilled in the Dutch side's final goal with 15 minutes remaining, but there was still time for Pavlidis to be denied a hat-trick as his late drive struck the outside of a post.

Man of the match - Pavlidis (AZ)

Striker Vangelis Pavlidis scored twice but came close to a hat-trick and ran the United defence ragged with his movement

Embarrassing for club and country

United received a major lesson - that they are obviously not as good as they thought they were after receiving plenty of plaudits from their impressive first-leg win over wily European operators.

They have endured a result not only embarrassing for a club that once famously reached the Uefa Cup final but for Scottish football as a whole.

Yes, AZ have now not lost in 20 European ties at home and United were always underdogs, even after establishing a 1-0 lead, but the way they capitulated will leave question marks over the mentality and ability of a group of players with plenty of top-level experience.

AZ boss Pascal Jansen learned his lessons from the first leg to win the battle of strategies. Now it is up to Ross to find a way to somehow lift his players for their return, heads bowed, to the domestic scene.

What they said

Dundee United captain Ryan Edwards: "It's hard to describe it. We conceded too many soft goals.

"People have paid money to come over and watch and it ends like that. It's embarrassing."

What's next?

United travel to face Heart of Midlothian in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday (15:00 BST).