Feyenoord has started the group stage of the Conference League with a draw. The team of coach Arne Slot was unable to convince on a visit to Maccabi Haifa and remained goalless: 0-0. The best chances of the game were not spent on Bryan Linssen, who made way for the debuting Cyriel Dessers fifteen minutes before the end. On behalf of the home team, Surinamese-Dutchman Tjaronn Chery hit the bar. The first top match of the season awaits Feyenoord next Sunday, when Slot’s team visits PSV.
Feyenoord received extra rest from the KNVB in the run-up to the meeting with Maccabi Haifa and saw the competition match with Heracles Almelo shifted to December 1. Slot had Marcos Senesi, who had returned from injury, from the first whistle in Israel. Alireza Jahanbakhsh was missing, as Feyenoord wanted to prevent the winger from being unable to play for the national team of Iran in the future. Reiss Nelson, who was hired from Arsenal, was not yet fit enough, while Dessers was placed on the bench by Slot.
The team from Rotterdam eagerly started the first group match and had a slight dominance in the field in the initial phase. After two minutes of play, Feyenoord appeared dangerous for the first time in front of Josh Cohen’s goal. However, on a pass from Jens Toornstra, Linssen came up just short. A second combination between Toornstra and Linssen also did not yield a goal. This time, a lob from the latter could be tapped over the goal by Cohen. The most dangerous moment of the first company came halfway through the first half of the home team.
From the right side of the field, Chery withdrew from Fredrik Aursnes’ attention. The left leg tried from great distance with a flaming shot that exploded over Justin Bijlow on the crossbar. Maccabi Haifa fought his way back into the match from that moment on and only had to swallow a goal from Guus Til. The midfielder found Cohen’s fists after an unfortunate assumption. Not much later, he was kicked out by referee Fabio Maresca for having raised his leg too high.
After the break there was considerably less to enjoy and both teams were very inaccurate in possession. The best moment was again for Linssen, who had the ball in front of the tap after a combination between Luis Sinisterra and Tyrell Malacia. However, the striker was not focused and shot past. Linssen was then taken off by Slot fifteen minutes before the end for the debuting Dessers. The striker hired from KRC Genk did not get a chance to distinguish himself. The return of Lutsharel Geertruida ten minutes before time meant his first minutes after months of injury.
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