A sombrero couldn’t hurt with these temperatures, although Feyenoord was lucky to be the last to play on Saturday evening. Nevertheless, the temperature at the start at 9 p.m. in De Kuip was still 29.5 degrees and that is usually not the weather that the Feyenoord players want when chasing off an opponent. The intensity that Arne Slot has to put into their game is enormous.
Great saves
But that didn’t stop the Rotterdam-squad from starting with the same decisiveness and zeal as the success team that the coach created last season. In fact, the first four minutes were sensational, with three great saves from Heerenveen goalkeeper Noppert and a ball on the crossbar.
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In the stiffly sold-out Kuip, everyone immediately stood on the benches. The mood of the supporters has already gone in the right direction due to all the activities on the transfer market and if the replacements of the army of players that have left then radiate so much ambition, it usually quickly spreads to the stands. But the Pole Sebastian Szymanski, the Dane Jacob Rasmussen and Quinten Timber did not get the ball past Noppert yet.
Norwegian Marcus Pedersen, who was once again posted as left back, and Javairo Dilrosun were also close to scoring, after which Noppert and his defenders also gave a gift to Feyenoord striker Danilo. He was a toe-length short to completely wrest the ball from the Frisian goalkeeper. Former Feyenoord player Kees van Wonderen, who is now in charge at Heerenveen, must have had a flashback on the reserve bench of the same situation that Erik ten Hag experienced against Brentford a few hours before the game. In England, Ten Hag saw his defenders bumbling exactly like that and it cost them a goal against.
nice bone
Slot had already emphasized beforehand that his team would have a tough job at Heerenveen, because in his eyes Van Wonderen is a master at setting up a strong organization and all his teams concede few goals against. That proved to be the case, because after the strong opening phase, the home team had to puzzle through the block of five defenders, with three midfielders in front.
After an hour something had to be done and so Slot took his wing striker Patrik Walemark to the side, because he did not have enough return. Oussama Idrissi, who was behind in training when he came in, had to try to force it in the last half hour. but Orkun Kökcü was also added to the midfield, taking the place of Szymanski. Kökcü had to provide the team with more creativity.
Santiago Gimenez makes his first minutes for Feyenoord.
ANP/HH
Feyenoord did create a significant preponderance, but fifteen minutes before the end, the Senegales/Swedish striker Amin Sarr was the man who got the greatest chance of the entire second half. In the counter, he surprised the Feyenoord defense with a bang at the near post, which Justin Bijlow could barely block with his foot.
Gimenez
What remained in the final phase was putting the Mexican menu on the table. Hot & spicy he came in, Santiago Gimenez, and that caused an unprecedented enthusiasm in the Legion. He had almost immortalized himself in the 95th minute, but the striker, despite going for it, slipped Dilrosun’s excellent cross over Noppert’s goal.
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