Feyenoord will host FC Twente on Sunday afternoon in a crucial match that could determine their competitiveness in the Eredivisie title race.
Match Preview
Currently sitting in second place, Feyenoord is 10 points behind league leaders PSV Eindhoven. On the other hand, FC Twente is just five points behind Feyenoord in the standings.
During the first half of the season, defending champions Feyenoord played second fiddle to PSV, who won all of their first 17 matches. However, there are now signs of a momentum shift after PSV’s recent draw against FC Utrecht.
In a recent KNVB-Beker match, Feyenoord managed to defeat PSV 1-0, which could potentially make a difference in the title race.
To have any hope of closing the 10-point gap before their clash with PSV on March 3, Arne Slot’s side needs to perform well in their upcoming fixtures.
This match against FC Twente becomes even more important for Feyenoord, as a victory would create a nine-point cushion in the race for securing one of the two Champions League spots.
On the other hand, FC Twente is currently going through a rough patch, having suffered back-to-back defeats since January 17. They lost 3-1 to PSV in the cup and then went down 1-0 against NEC Nijmegen, their first league defeat in five matches.
With Ajax just six points behind, FC Twente cannot afford any more slip-ups. However, a loss in this match wouldn’t be considered disastrous in the short term.
It’s worth noting that FC Twente has a poor away record despite their third-place standing. They have only managed four wins in nine away matches, including just one win in their last five.
Recent form:
Feyenoord Eredivisie: W, L, W, W, D, W
Feyenoord (all competitions): W, W, L, D, W, W
FC Twente Eredivisie: L, W, W, D, W, L FC
Twente (all competitions): W, W, D, W, L, L
Team News:
Feyenoord might make some changes to their starting lineup after the recent KNVB-Beker clash with PSV. Javairo Dilrosun is expected to return in place of Bart Nieuwkoop on the right flank.
Ondrej Lingr, who made an impression as a replacement against Vitesse, will likely be kept on the bench.
FC Twente will have to make at least one change to their side due to Max Bruns’ red card in the defeat against NEC.
Robin Propper is available again after suspension and is likely to replace Bruns. Michel Vlap could also be considered for a recall in midfield.
Possible starting lineups:
Feyenoord: (4-2-3-1)
Bijlow;
Geertruida, Trauner, Hancko, Hartman;
Wieffer, Timber;
Dilrosun, Stengs, Paixao;
Gimenez
FC Twente: (4-2-3-1)
Unnerstall;
Brenet, Propper, Van Hoorenbeeck, Smal;
Sadilek, Eiting;
Rots, Steijn, Taha;
Ugalde
Prediction: Feyenoord 2-0 FC Twente
The stakes are high in this contest for both teams. While Twente has a decent chance, we believe that Feyenoord will come out on top with a 2-0 victory, possibly even keeping a clean sheet.
