Feyenoord’s Challenges Ahead of Go Ahead Eagles Match Following Stuttgart Defeat

Following a defeat against VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League last Thursday, Robin van Persie must return to the drawing board. Despite the loss, his team’s performance was commendable against the Germans, even with a makeshift lineup due to numerous absences. The question remains: what will Van Persie deploy on Sunday against Go Ahead Eagles?

The loss to VfB Stuttgart, currently positioned fourth in the Bundesliga, was particularly disappointing for Feyenoord. The Rotterdammers played well with an improvised setup but succumbed to two late goals, resulting in a 2-0 defeat. Nevertheless, there were several positives to draw from the match. “Feyenoord was the best team we’ve faced here since Bayern Munich in the Supercup,” remarked Stuttgart’s technical director Fabian Wohlgemuth, praising their performance. Can Van Persie build on this foundation, given the ongoing personnel challenges, as they prepare for their match against Go Ahead?

The midfield situation is concerning due to the absence of key players such as Sem Steijn, Oussama Targhalline, In-beom Hwang, and Jakub Moder. Against Stuttgart, Van Persie opted for a midfield composed of Quinten Timber and Luciano Valente, with Cyle Larin stepping in as an emergency midfielder in place of Steijn. Remarkably, this arrangement worked quite well, with Larin serving effectively as a classic target man, albeit not from a forward position.

Ayase Ueda failed to score on Thursday, though he came close with a header that veered just two meters wide of the goalpost. Had the ball found the net, Feyenoord would likely have experienced a very different match. However, Ueda will have another opportunity to score against Go Ahead Eagles, taking up his position at the front.

Feyenoord’s probable lineup against Go Ahead Eagles is as follows: Wellenreuther; Read, Ahmedhodzic, Watanabe, Smal; Timber, Valente, Larin; Hadj Moussa, Ueda, Sauer.