Aiming to keep their faint hopes of retaining the Dutch crown alive, Feyenoord will make the tricky-looking trip to face Go Ahead Eagles at De Adelaarshorst on Thursday night in the Eredivisie.
The Pride of South are potentially one slip-up away from handing PSV Eindhoven the status as champions, whilst Go Ahead are focused on achieving an unlikely European berth in the final weeks of the term.
Match preview
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Since the 3-0 victory at home to SBV Excelsior ended March on a positive note, Go Ahead Eagles have failed to pick up a win during their first three contests of April, drawing with Ajax and top-flight newcomers Almere City before losing narrowly at Utrecht last Sunday.
A fourth-minute strike from Sam Lammers had the hosts ahead early on at Stadion Galgenwaard, but Gerrit Nauber's second of the league campaign ensured the game was level approaching the closing moments. However, Utrecht netted an added-time winner in the dying stages courtesy of substitute Can Bozdogan.
Having now won just one of their last six Eredivisie matches since the beginning of March, Go Ahead's grip on a top-eight spot has loosened as the campaign reaches its dramatic conclusion, with Thursday's hosts currently only two points ahead of ninth-placed Sparta Rotterdam with four matches left to play.
After taking over the reins at De Adelaarshorst during the summer of 2022, Rene Hake has guided the Eagles to Eredivisie safety in back-to-back campaigns and will manage his 70th match for the club as Feyenoord come to town on Thursday, with the 52-year-old possessing an identical number of wins and losses so far (25 each).
Since returning to the top table of Dutch football following their second-placed finish in the Eerste Divisie during 2020-21, Go Ahead could only manage consecutive bottom-half finishes, with the current season representing a good opportunity to place in the top nine for the first time in over a decade.
Taking a break from the stresses of an Eredivisie title race, Feyenoord picked up their first piece of silverware of the season on Sunday night, when Arne Slot's troops overcame NEC in the final of the KNVB Cup at Stadion Feijenoord, but the task was not as easy as many were expecting.
It took the Pride of South until the 60th minute to find the eventual match-winner through Brazilian attacker Igor Paixao, and Feyenoord had to hold on for victory during the final 20 minutes with a numerical disadvantage following Yankuba Minteh's second caution of the contest.
Nevertheless, Feyenoord were able to collect their 14th KNVB Beker trophy in front of a jubilant home crowd, although celebrations could turn to heartbreak on Thursday night, when a loss for Slot's charges could hand PSV official control the Eredivisie crown.
Despite being defeated on just two occasions in the league this term - with the most recent of those losses arriving in early December - Feyenoord are fighting a losing battle to keep hold of their champions status, with Thursday's visitors nine points behind PSV with just four games remaining.
The goalscoring antics of Santiago Gimenez have been worthy of an Eredivisie title so far, with the Mexican marksman finding the net on 21 occasions in 29 top-flight appearances, although the attacker trails AZ Alkmaar's Vangelis Pavlidis (26) and PSV's Luuk de Jong (26) in the division's Golden Boot race.
Team News
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Go Ahead Eagles remain without the services of midfielder Philippe Rommens, who has not featured since the middle of January due to a serious ankle injury.
Enric Llansana was substituted during the half-time break at Utrecht last Sunday, with the 23-year-old possibly being replaced by Xander Blomme in the hosts' engine room on Thursday.
Seven-goal midfielder Willum Willumsson should continue just behind youngster Thibo Baeten at the focal point of the attack, although Hake also has the likes of Jakob Breum and Finn Stokkers as forward options in reserve.
Feyenoord's options at left-back have been restricted since the start of the month by the season-ending knee injury of 22-year-old Quilindschy Hartman.
In the absence of Hartman, captain Lutsharel Geertruida will continue on the left side of the visitors' backline, with Thomas Beelen and David Hancko playing at centre-back.
Gjivai Zechiel was threatening to break into the first-team thinking at the beginning of the term following a pair of cameos in the league, but a knee injury has seen the midfielder play no part in many months.
Go Ahead Eagles possible starting lineup:
De Lange; Deijl, Nauber, Kramer, Kuipers; Linthorst, Blomme, Adekanye, Willumsson, Edvardsen; Baeten
Feyenoord possible starting lineup:
Wellenreuther; Nieuwkoop, Beelen, Hancko, Geertruida; Zerrouki, Stengs, Timber; Paixao, Ueda, Gimenez
We say: Go Ahead Eagles 1-3 Feyenoord
Feyenoord head into this clash in sensational form, winning their last three matches without conceding a goal, but we feel that the visitors could run into some problems at De Adelaarshorst.
That being said, we reckon that Go Ahead Eagles will be unable to collect anything from Thursday's match, damaging their chances of finishing inside the top eight.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
