Feyenoord’s dream of their first Eredivisie title since 1999 was left in tatters on Saturday night after Marco Van Basten’s underperforming Heerenveen side hit two late goals to take a 2-0 win at Abe Lenstra Stadion.
Heerenveen 2 (Finnbogason 85, El Ghannassy 89)
Feyenoord 0
In a poor first half, it was the hosts who made the best chance – Serbian playmaker Filip Djuricic forcing Erwin Mulder to produce a decent save. It was the Serb with another superb solo effort just shortly after the break nearly put Heerenveen ahead, but, after a mazy run, the ball smashed off the post and the visitors were able to clear their lines.
The match looked to end in a goalless draw, but belatedly came to life just five minutes from time. Hot prospect Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, a central defender, made a surging run into box and clipped the ball onto hitman Alfred Finnbogason who put the hosts 1-0 up. Moments later, Ronald Koeman’s Feyenoord were like a team possessed and seemed likely to pull one back. Wesley Verhoek with a great effort from the edge of the box but Swedish goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt was well positioned to make the save.
With the game heading towards stoppage time, the hosts provided one final flourish to ensure the three points. Belgian Yassine El Ghanassy, on loan from Gent, slotted the ball home from the edge of the area to complete a 2-0 win.
The result leaves Feyenoord in third.
HIGHLIGHTS (in Dutch)
———-
FC Twente 1 (Brama 83)
NAC Breda 1 (van der Weg 50)
Twente captain Wout Brama hit a long range shot, although deflected, past NAC ‘keeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar to clinch a point for his side and keep their hopes of playing avoiding the Europa League playoffs alive. Kenny van der Weg had put the visitors ahead just after the break with after a messy scramble from a free-kick.
Twente sit in joint fifth but need to make up six points on Vitesse (play PEC Zwolle at home today) to clinch a top four place to gain an automatic Europa League berth.
HIGHLIGHTS (in Dutch)
———-
Willem II 1 (Haemhouts 26)
FC Groningen 2 (Bacuna 66P, Texeira 72)
Willem II are routed to the bottom of the league and despite a tremendously spirited performance against Groningen on Saturday, they looked doomed to be relegated.
The home side took the through Robbie Haemhouts on 26 minutes after some great link up play with Virgil Misidjan and Kees van Buuren. Willem pressed for a second and looked certain to finish with a victory but in the second half, Groningen turned it around. A corner was swung in on 65 minutes and Willem’s Luxembourg international striker Aurélien Joachim got caught with a dubious handball and Leandro Bacuna smashed home the resulting penalty to tie things up.
The Tilburg side must be upset after dominating the game and they were even more so a few minutes later. Bacuna placed a wonderful cross from the right onto the head of Uruguayan David Texeira who planted a gliding header into the corner of the goal. You have to feel sorry for Willem as they lost this game when they should have won it comfortably on the basis of their play.
Willem sit with only 17 points, nine adrift from safety but only four away from VVV Venlo in the relgation play-off position.
HIGHLIGHTS (in Dutch)
———-
FC Utrecht 2 (Duplan 5, de Kogel 16)
VVV Venlo 1 (Linssen 37)
Utrecht sit comfortable in sixth after two early first half goals settled their game with 17th placed VVV Venlo. After only 5 minutes Édouard Duplan got on the scoresheet from a corner. Belgian Jan Wuytens smashed a header onto the crossbar and Frenchman Duplan knocked home the rebound.
Venlo’s problems were made worse on 16 minutes when striker Leon de Kogel grabbed Utrecht’s second after a horrendous blunder from the VVV defence. Young on-loan defensive pairing of Kaj Ramsteijn (from Feyenoord) and Nils Röseler (from Twente) tried to play the ball in their own box but de Kogel pounced to place the ball into Finnish goalkeeper Niki Mäenpää’s goal. It was a horrendous blunder by Röseler that displays the troubles that Venlo has suffered this season.
Bryan Linssen grabbed a first half consolation after a wicked cross from Oğuzhan Türk was hit by Robert Cullen. Cullen’s shot was saved but Linssen showed his instincts to force the ball home at the second attempt.
HIGHLIGHTS (in Dutch)
———-
Click name above to follow Will on Twitter
————–
totaldutchfootball.com 