Arne Slot has announced Feyenoord’s line-up for the home game against AZ. The coach of the team from Rotterdam compensates for the absence of the suspended Orkun Kökçü with Javairô Dilrosun in the number 10 position. This means that Alireza Jahanbakhsh takes over the right winger position from the latter and therefore returns to the base. Lutsharel Geertruida is the captain of the home team. The match between the number one and two of the Eredivisie starts at 9 p.m.
Slot also sticks to the basic team of last Sunday in Friesland against sc Heerenveen (1-2 win). The rearguard therefore consists of Marcus Pedersen, Geertruida, Dávid Hancko and Quilindschy Hartman. Timon Wellenreuther is the goalkeeper in the absence of Justin Bijlow. The the Dutch international is still out for the time being. Slot revealed at the press conference on Friday afternoon that Mats Wieffer and Quinten Timber were going to form a block in midfield together. Dilrosun fills in the number 10 position.
The number 10 position is not an unknown place for Dilrosun. Slot also posted him there this season in the matches against Sparta Rotterdam (3-0 win), PSV (4-3 loss) and NEC Nijmegen (1-1). Feyenoord also has few surprises in the front. Oussama Idrissi and Santiago Giménez retain the confidence of Slot, who therefore only changes the right outside position with Jahanbakhsh compared to the duel with Heerenveen.
Pascal Jansen, AZ’s trainer, has seen no reason to change after the big victory over Excelsior (5-0). That means that the Alkmaarders will again play in a 4-3-3 formation and that eighteen-year-old Wouter Goes has a starting place again. Together with Pantelis Hatzidiakos, he forms the heart of AZ’s defence. With Jordy Clasie, the number two in the Eredivisie also has a player in the ranks with a past at Feyenoord. The small midfielder also starts.
Feyenoord leads the dance in the Eredivisie and can make a gap with AZ on Saturday evening, which is two points behind the team from Rotterdam. Slot already knew last weekend that he cannot have Kökçü against the Alkmaarders. The trainer already announced on Friday that Geertruida is the occasional captain against the North Hollanders. Justin Bijlow, Sebastian Szymanski and Patrik Walemark are still in the rags, but Gernot Trauner has almost fully recovered from his meniscus injury and, according to Slot, could return to the match selection against Fortuna Sittard next week. Wieffer was ill this week, but was able to train fully again on Thursday and will therefore start against AZ.
?? The weekend of Feyenoord – AZ! A top 3 of the most beautiful goals of recent years in De Kuip ??
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) February 17, 2023
Things can go either way for the Alkmaarders after this round. The team of trainer Pascal Jansen is the new leader with a victory, while a defeat creates a gap of five points with Feyenoord. AZ has been doing very well against the traditional top three in recent years, although the mutual meeting with Feyenoord was lost 1-3 earlier this season. Dani de Wit, Bruno Martins Indi, Zinho Vanheusden, Riechedly Bazoer, Maxim Dekker and Sam Beukema are injured, although the latter will soon return to group training. Djordje Mihailovic suffered from a calf injury, but has recovered and traveled to Rotterdam. Sven Mijnans is also there. The midfielder, who came over from Sparta this winter, scored his first two goals for AZ against Excelsior.
Line-up Feyenoord: Wellenreuther; Pedersen, Geertruida, Hancko, Hartman; Wieffer, Dilrosun, Timber; Jahanbakhsh, Gimenez, Idrissi.
Setup AZ: Ryan; Sugawara, Hatzidiakos, Goes, Kerkez; Clasie, Reijnders, Mijnans; Odgaard, Pavlidis, Karlsson.