Feyenoord Aims for Summit After Beker Triumph

Fresh off their 14th KNVB Beker triumph, Feyenoord turns their sights to the Eredivisie summit as they prepare to face Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday. Arne Slot’s men secured the Dutch cup with a 1-0 victory over NEC Nijmegen, keeping their double hopes alive in a season quickly shaping up as one of their most memorable in recent years.

The Rotterdam giants have been a relentless force in the Eredivisie, going 16 games unbeaten to rise to second place, just nine points adrift of leaders PSV with a game in hand. A win at De Adelaarshorst could temporarily trim that deficit to six points and increase the pressure on the Eindhoven side.

However, Go Ahead Eagles will be desperate to halt Feyenoord’s charge and keep their own European ambitions intact. René Hake’s side has struggled for results lately with just one win in their last four games, dropping to eighth and clinging to a Europa Conference League playoff spot.

A shock home win over the in-form Rotterdammers could reignite their continental hopes, but history is heavily stacked against them. Feyenoord has won the last seven meetings between the clubs across all competitions, including a 4-3 thriller in the reverse fixture in September.

That victory began a scintillating 16-game undefeated league run that has taken Slot’s men to the brink of an unexpected title challenge. Led by the goalscoring exploits of Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez and playmaker Orkun Kokcu, Feyenoord have been scoring for fun, netting four or more goals on eight separate occasions.

They will likely back themselves to extend that run on Thursday against a Go Ahead Eagles side that has kept just four clean sheets at home all season. Hake has stuck resolutely to his attacking principles, making for entertaining if inconsistent performances from his team.

With little to lose, the hosts could go gung-ho from the off, setting up a wide open contest that will surely suit the free-scoring visitors. A Feyenoord win looks highly probable on the evidence of the season so far.

Go Ahead will need to conjure up one of their best performances to date to become the first Dutch side to take points off Slot’s men since mid-December. Even a share of the spoils would rate as an impressive result and provide a much-needed boost ahead of their European bid run-in.

But containing the rampant Rotterdammers, with the momentum of a first trophy in seven years driving them on, may simply prove too much for the unfancied underdogs. Feyenoord know this is their big chance to end PSV’s domestic dominance of the last three seasons.

With the finishing line in sight, don’t expect them to hit the brakes now. Go Ahead Eagles are the next obstacle standing in the way of an improbable dream double. For a club of Feyenoord’s stature and history, that may well prove insufficient to derail the juggernaut.