The euphoria of the 5-2 victory over Partizan Belgrade in the Conference League, that is the feeling that Feyenoord wanted to keep on Sunday against PEC Zwolle. That only worked on paper in Zwolle, where PEC, fighting against relegation, almost took points away from a frivolous and tired Feyenoord.
The weekday confrontation with Partizan was the game in which Feyenoord scored five times in a European away game for the first time since 1995. It makes many in Rotterdam dream of old times again, just before a football week with the return Thursday against Partizan Belgrade in a sold-out Kuip and the Classic on Sunday in the Johan Cruijff Arena against Ajax.
The last time Feyenoord survived the European winter was the infamous lost duel against AS Roma in the 2015 Europa League, where Feyenoord supporters in Rome are said to have damaged one of the famous fountains. Last week things went well in Belgrade with the supporters who traveled with them, who could enjoy a team in the Partizan Stadium that after a mixed period in the competition with a defeat against number four AZ (2-1) and a draw against FC Groningen (1 -1), defeated Partizan convincingly.
Colombian dribbler Luis Sinisterra played a leading role in Serbia, the most important player with a goal and two assists. Sinisterra first performed beautifully over the back line and provided his second assist, for Lutsharel Geertruida’s goal. He underlined his good form with a good shot from distance.
Sinisterra came in 2018 for two million euros from the Colombian club Once Caldas, and is now worth many times that. In Rotterdam they hope for a transfer amount that surpasses Dirk Kuijt’s record of 18 million euros.
Feyenoord coach Arne Slot, former player of Zwolle, did not want to talk too long about individual names after Thursday. He took over from Dick Advocaat this summer and let Feyenoord swing again at times. He does not want to depend only on the talent of one very good player, as happened with captain Steven Berghuis who left for Ajax. “It is the transition we had to make last summer: that the individual no longer makes the team better, but the team the individual,” Slot said after the resounding victory over Partizan Belgrade.
blueprint
The 5-2 in Serbia is his blueprint of an attacking Feyenoord, which must get the public back on the benches in Rotterdam. It must be dominant and attacking, said the coach, who extended his contract until 2024 in February. That did not work against PEC Zwolle at all.
Feyenoord didn’t have the swinging of Belgrade, in a sloppy game. Winger Reis Nelson did get a shooting opportunity, which yielded little. Striker Cyriel Dessers had a good opportunity when he ran around goalkeeper Kostas Lamprou but was unable to print from the back line.
Feyenoord tried to destroy the defense of PEC Zwolle with one hit over the right flank. That rarely worked. Feyenoord could knit on Sunday, but not make a fist. The longer the game lasted, the more Zwolle dropped massively, hoping for a counterattack. Those defensive tactics gave the lead just before half-time. After sloppy defense of Feyenoord, Zwolle defender Bram van Polen got the ball for his left foot and lashed out devastatingly. The ball bounced off the bottom of the crossbar behind the goal line and back into the field.
goldcrest
Just like Thursday in Belgrade, Feyenoord had to hunt for an equalizer. Somewhat thankfully, it tied the score, thanks to Sinisterra. Just over the halfway line he countered towards the Zwolle goal. From a difficult angle, he hit defender Yuta Nakayama’s leg and his shot was promoted to goal.
Zwolle fireworks then marred the match, which was briefly halted. Feyenoord seemed well on the way to a point loss, but that was not thought of by the cunning Dessers, who crowned his second base place in a row with a goal. After a slip in the defense of PEC Zwolle, the ball suddenly rolled at the feet of the striker from Belgium. Dessers hadn’t shown much on Sunday, but in his last action of the game he turned beautifully and shot hard into the top corner.
The 2-1 victory is on paper a great result for the number three in the Eredivisie, who has to work hard against Partizan Belgrade and Ajax. The euphoric feeling of Belgrade is somewhat to the background due to the difficult victory in Zwolle. That is not a bad thing for this volatile Feyenoord, which has to keep working hard to win matches.