Feyenoord made it five wins from five on Wednesday night, as they beat a stubborn Fortuna Sittard 2-0 at De Kuip to continue their time at the Eredivisie summit.
Robin van Persieโs offensive approach was quickly established ahead of this clash, as he told journalists that heโd rather leave the pitch with a 6-4 win than a meagre 1-0. However, with the creative outlet of Anis Hadj Moussa suspended, and Fortuna readily sitting deep, this was easier said than done.
The Limburg side, as Mikos Gouka of the AD explained, โretreated en masse to their own halfโ, yet the dominant hosts still managed to make the breakthrough in a soaking wet Rotterdam-Zuid just before the break.
In a reputable, depth-displaying style, Luciano Valenteโs replacement made an impact. Oussama Targhalline was the key to the opening goal at De Kuip and, admittedly, the player of the match. The Moroccan international pressed Fortuna Sittardโs Jasper Dahlhaus, and poked the ball through for the in-form Ayase Ueda to open his body up on the right and find the bottom-left corner.
In a second half that saw 13 shots and just three on target from the hosts, Feyenoord eventually struck their second in the 72nd minute. After the home side displayed solid defensive foundations as Givairo Read stopped a Fortuna attack, Quinten Timber fuelled the counter and lofted Aymen Sliti through on the right. The youngster celebrated his new contract until 2029 with a superb low drive into the bottom-right corner.
Speaking after the game, Givairo Read told ESPN NL about Fortunaโs negative set-up, โWe were dominant, we had the ball a lot. We didnโt expect anything different (from them). Weโve trained for it.โ
Read, who came on late in the game and wore the captainโs armband for the first time, continued, โIf it goes like this, I donโt have much to complain about. Of course, you want to play better, but itโs all about the three points.โ
Knowing that PSV and Ajax will face each other, Feyenoord now prepare for a crucial weekend. They face their first real test on Sunday afternoon against AZ in Alkmaar. A good result automatically means theyโll further distance themselves from one of their rivals in the race for the league title.
That ultimately remains the goal, although Van Persie didnโt really mention the rival clubs in his post-match thoughts. โI occasionally watch Ajax and PSV. But thatโs about it. Iโm mainly focused on Feyenoord, and I want us to improve a little every day. That applies to the players, but also to me.โ
GBeNeFNย |ย Max Bradfield
