Aiming to record consecutive Eredivisie wins at De Kuip for the first time since November, Feyenoord host bottom-placed Almere City in Saturday's gameweek 20 encounter.
Both sides are undergoing managerial transitions in different capacities, with Jeroen Rijsdijk entering his fourth top-flight match in charge of the away side, while Pascal Bosschaart could be in situ for the final time as interim boss before the expected appointment of Robin van Persie.
Match preview
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Although Feyenoord are Champions League round of 16 participants, having stunned AC Milan in the knockout playoffs this week, the Stadium Club face a battle to return to the tournament next season.
The fourth-placed Rotterdam outfit are 14 points adrift of table-topping Ajax and 12 points behind PSV in second, making it unlikely they will end in those positions guaranteeing participation in Europe's premier club competition.
While they may have to settle for third place to partake in Champions League qualifying, the Club of the People must supplant Utrecht, whom they trail by three points, and stave off the challenge of AZ — level on 40 points — and FC Twente (39).
Although Feyenoord have played a game fewer than the team above them, the Pride of South can be optimistic about their chances of overtaking the third-placed side, who are without a victory in five top-flight games; however, the Rotterdam-based club's miserable 2025 form — one win, two draws, two defeats — outranks only Willem II (two) and Fortuna Sittard (one).
While Bosschaart has been in charge for two of the previous five matches, replacing the sacked Brian Priske, the interim boss oversaw the Stadium Club's only victory in their ongoing run — a 3-0 success in the Rotterdam derby against Sparta Rotterdam before a goalless encounter at NAC Breda last weekend.
Those Eredivisie matches preceded Feyenoord's 2-1 aggregate success over Milan, seeing them go unbeaten in four fixtures in all competitions, having lost three of the previous four overall, pointing to expected-to-be-appointed Van Persie taking charge of a team entering a positive spell after a disappointing start to the year.
It remains to be seen if the former Feyenoord striker is in situ for Saturday's match, but supporters are expected to demand success from whoever is in charge this weekend against Almere City, who enter gameweek 20 bottom of the Eredivisie, despite the home side's glut of injuries.
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The travelling fans will be aware of their record in this fixture since gaining promotion last season: three losses in as many games, conceding 12 goals and scoring just two.
Rijsdijk will aim to snap that losing run against their Rotterdam hosts, hoping the mini resurgence since replacing Hedwiges Maduro at the start of the year stands the Black Sheep in good stead.
After picking up one point and failing to score in two of his first three league games (two losses), the competition's lowest scorers (14 goals) have notched four points from their most recent two Eredivisie matches, with both results strikingly coming on their travels.
A 1-0 defeat of third-placed Utrecht in early February ended a year-long wait for a top-flight win on the road, and scoring twice in last week's 2-2 draw at NEC was the first time the Almere-based outfit have netted two goals away from home since October — also a 2-2 draw at Sparta.
Despite being 10 points adrift of 15th-placed Heracles and six behind Sparta in the relegation playoff spot, recent results offer the league's bottom side hope in the season's concluding months.
While De Zwarte Schapen face an uphill battle against Feyenoord, Almere City's three-match undefeated sequence on their travels (two draws) could become four this weekend if the visitors avoid defeat, a feat twice achieved in the top flight since gaining promotion — four games from September 2023 to November 2023 and five matches from February 2024 to April 2024.
Team News
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Injury-hit Feyenoord could have as many as 11 players absent this weekend, with Justin Bijlow, Ramiz Zerrouki, Jan Plug, Jordan Lotomba, Gernot Trauner, Bart Nieuwkoop, Chris-Kevin Nadje, Facundo Gonzalez, Ayase Ueda, Quinten Timber and Hwang In-beom either doubtful or certain absentees.
With top-scoring Santiago Gimenez (seven goals) now at Milan, Igor Paixao (six), Anis Hadj Moussa (four) and Julian Carranza (three) must take responsibility for the hosts.
Strikingly, no Feyenoord player has netted more match-winners than Carranza's two, and the 2024 signing aims to add to his tally this weekend.
Almere City are not as injury-ravaged, with Rijsdijk's men monitoring Alex Carbonell's hamstring issue heading into Saturday, although Theo Barbet is not expected back until March due to a foot injury; Junior Kadile is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card against NEC.
Only two players have netted more than once for Almere City this season — the suspended Kadile and Kornelius Hansen, both of whom have two league goals — and it remains to be seen if anyone else steps up for the visitors.
Feyenoord possible starting lineup:
Wellenreuther; Read, Beelen, Hancko, Smal; Milambo, Moder; Moussa, Paixao, Bueno; Carranza
Almere City possible starting lineup:
Bakker; Akujobi, Visus, Lawrence, Zagaritis; Haye, Kamp; Hansen, Robinet, Providence; Brym
We say: Feyenoord 1-1 Almere City
Although Feyenoord's three-match winning run in this fixture since Almere City debuted in the Eredivisie points to another comprehensive success, the Black Sheep's recent run without losing on their travels, including a 1-0 win at Utrecht, could see Rijsdijk's side eke out a draw.
Following midweek exertions in Milan, we believe the injury-hit hosts could drop points on Saturday.
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