Feyenoord’s Challenges and Opportunities Ahead of Go Ahead Eagles Match

After the defeat against VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League on Thursday, Robin van Persie is back at the drawing board. His team’s performance against the Germans was commendable, even with an improvised starting eleven. Due to several absences, the challenges remain for the Rotterdam coach. What lineup will Van Persie present on Sunday against Go Ahead Eagles?

The loss to Stuttgart was a particularly bitter pill for Feyenoord to swallow. Competing against the current fourth-place team in the Bundesliga, the Rotterdammers delivered an impressive performance despite their makeshift lineup. However, they succumbed to two late goals, resulting in a 2-0 defeat. Nevertheless, there were several positives to take away from the match. “Feyenoord was the best team we have faced in our stadium since Bayern Munich in the Supercup,” praised Stuttgart’s technical director, Fabian Wohlgemuth. Can Van Persie build on this foundation despite the ongoing personnel issues?

The midfield situation is dire, with Sem Steijn, Oussama Targhalline, In-beom Hwang, and Jakub Moder all unavailable. In the match against Stuttgart, Van Persie opted for a midfield comprising Quinten Timber and Luciano Valente, with Cyle Larin stepping in as an emergency midfielder in place of Steijn. Remarkably, this arrangement functioned quite smoothly, with Larin acting as a traditional target man, albeit not from the forward position.

Ayase Ueda was unable to score on Thursday, although he came close with a superb header that sailed just two meters wide of the goalpost. Had the ball found the net, it’s likely Feyenoord would have had a different match altogether. Nonetheless, Ueda will have a new opportunity to find the back of the net against Go Ahead, taking his position at the forefront of the attack.

Probable lineup for Feyenoord against Go Ahead Eagles: Wellenreuther; Read, Ahmedhodzic, Watanabe, Smal; Timber, Valente, Larin; Hadj Moussa, Ueda, Sauer.