Feyenoord vs ADO Den Haag – News and Probable Lineups

Feyenoord will welcome newly promoted ADO Den Haag at De Kuip on Sunday, aiming to maintain their unbeaten record in the Eredivisie.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team has accumulated seven points from their first three matches, currently positioned fourth with two wins and a draw. In contrast, the visitors are at risk of slipping back towards the relegation zone after losing all three of their opening games since their return to the top flight.

Match overview

Last season, Feyenoord finished as runners-up in the Eredivisie, trailing champions PSV Eindhoven by 19 points, which earned them direct entry into this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage.

Van Bronckhorst’s squad commenced this year’s campaign with a 1-0 victory over Sparta Rotterdam, before conceding a late equalizer to draw 2-2 at home against Go Ahead Eagles after holding a 2-0 lead.

They rebounded strongly with a 5-2 triumph away at Cambuur, a match that was delayed for 30 minutes due to fireworks set off by Feyenoord supporters, leading the referee to pause play.

Gjivai Zechiel scored a brace either side of half-time, followed by a goal from Luciano Valente, a Mika Marmol shot that deflected off the goalkeeper for a fourth, with Ayase Ueda converting a penalty to cap the scoring.

Zechiel currently leads Feyenoord’s scoring charts this season with three goals in three league games, while Ueda and Valente have each netted twice, with assists coming from Anis Hadj Moussa, Gaoussou Diarra, and Jordânia Lotomba.

With eight goals scored in three fixtures, they are among the most prolific attacking teams in the Eredivisie, though conceding four goals in the same span, including two after leading 2-0 against Go Ahead Eagles, has underlined the necessity for improved control when ahead.

After winning the Eerste Divisie title last season with 89 points under head coach Robin Peter, ADO Den Haag has made a return to the Eredivisie after a five-year absence.

However, their start to life back in the top tier has not gone well, suffering a 2-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in their opening match before enduring a 4-1 home loss against Groningen, where Yannick Eduardo managed to score the club’s first Eredivisie goal since promotion.

ADO Den Haag’s poor run continued with a 3-1 loss away at Go Ahead Eagles, with goals from Soren Tengstedt, Victor Edvardsen, and a stoppage-time header from Stefan Sigurdarson, while Evan Rottier’s strike was the only consolation.

Peter’s squad has only managed to score two goals while conceding nine during their three fixtures, leaving them at the bottom of the league without any points.

Throughout their 37 league encounters since 2003, Feyenoord has emerged victorious 21 times, while ADO Den Haag has claimed 10 wins with six matches ending in a draw.

Team News

Van Bronckhorst will be missing five players for this match, with defenders Bart Nieuwkoop, Gijs Smal, Thomas Beelen, and Jordânia Bos, along with midfielder Jakub Moder, all ruled out.

Tjark Ernst is anticipated to retain his spot in goal, with the back four likely consisting of Jeremiah St Juste, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Mika Marmol, and Givairo Read.

In midfield, the trio of Zechiel, Charles Vanhoutte, and Valente are expected to continue, while Ueda leads the frontline with Hadj Moussa and Diarra providing width on both flanks.

For ADO Den Haag, head coach Peter has to contend with the absence of Cameron Peupion, Jonas Jensen-Abbew, and Donat Barany.

Kilian Nikiema is expected to be the starting goalkeeper, supported by a defensive line of Othniel Raterink, Milan Hokke, Pascal Mulder, and Sekou Sylla.

The midfield duo of Jan Zamburek and Juho Kilo are set to protect the defence, while Evan Rottier will operate centrally behind Eduardo and Daryl van Mieghem, with Nigel Thomas providing width on the other side.

Feyenoord probable starting XI:

Ernst; Marmol, Watanabe, St Juste, Read; Valente, Vanhoutte, Zechiel; Diarra, Hadj Moussa, Ueda

ADO Den Haag probable starting XI:

Nikiema; Ratherink, Hocke, Mulder, Sylla; Zamburek, Kilo; van Mieghem, Thomas; Rottier, Eduardo

ADO Den Haag are currently allowing an average of three goals per match and have yet to keep a clean sheet in any of their three Eredivisie games to date. This defensive record poses a significant challenge against a Feyenoord side that is averaging 2.67 goals per game and has already seen contributions from five different scorers this season.

While Feyenoord’s tendency to lose control after gaining the lead, as witnessed in the draw with Go Ahead Eagles, presents a concern, ADO has demonstrated little of the quality necessary to exploit any potential slip-ups, having only scored twice and managed a mere one shot on target in two of their three matches.