Feyenoord produce another footballing show and steamroller FC Utrecht completely
Feyenoord tore FC Utrecht apart on Sunday afternoon. Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side were already 3-0 up at half-time at De Kuip and pulled further clear after the break in a convincing 5-0 win. The goals came from Anis Hadj Moussa (two), Nacho Ferri, Luciano Valente and Gaoussou Diarra.
After the 7-0 win over PEC Zwolle, Van Bronckhorst saw no reason to change his starting XI and named exactly the same side. Shaqueel van Persie and Gonçalo Borges were both completely absent with physical complaints, which left Feyenoord short of attacking options on the bench. FC Utrecht also began with the same XI that beat Excelsior 2-1.
Right from the first whistle, Feyenoord showed Utrecht were in for a long afternoon. In the sixth minute, Hadj Moussa picked up the ball in his own half, dribbled forward unchallenged towards the penalty area and finished from close range past Vasilios Barkas for 1-0.
Less than three minutes later, the second was in. Ferri had passed up a big chance moments earlier, but this time he controlled the ball brilliantly in the box and unleashed a devastating finish for 2-0, with Feyenoord keeping the tempo high.
Utrecht could barely lay a glove on the home side and were punished again in the 33rd minute. Hadj Moussa was once more allowed to cut inside relatively easily by left-back Arthur Zagré, who was enduring a very difficult afternoon, and fired into the near corner for his second of the game. Utrecht did not manage a single touch in the Rotterdam penalty area before half-time.
Before the break, the visitors suffered another blow when Artem Stepanov twisted awkwardly and had to go off in tears. As a result, the Utrecht striker, who had been called up to the Ukraine squad for the first time, will probably have to miss the international break. Feyenoord still created chances through, among others, Valente to stretch their lead further, but ultimately went into the dressing room 3-0 ahead.
Little changed after the restart. In the 52nd minute, Niklas Vesterlund handled the ball in his own penalty area and Valente calmly sent the awarded penalty beyond Barkas for Feyenoord's fourth of the afternoon.
Diarra, on as a substitute, had the final word after 64 minutes. Zechiël sent the attacker through in transition and Diarra calmly placed the ball into the far corner for 5-0. After the seven-goal hammering of PEC Zwolle, Feyenoord were able to celebrate another emphatic victory.
That convincing win sends Feyenoord temporarily to the top of the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie, although PSV and AZ can still climb above the Rotterdam club on Sunday. For FC Utrecht, the picture looks far less rosy: the Domstedelingen sit a disappointing 15th, and the pressure on coach Anthony Correia has already increased significantly heading into the international break.
