Feyenoord also won the second meeting with Partizan Belgrade. After last week’s 2-5 victory, the team from Rotterdam was already almost certain of a place in the quarterfinals of the Conference League; that ticket was never jeopardized on Thursday. Feyenoord won 3-1 in front of its own audience and will advance to the next round together with PSV. The draw will take place on Friday.
Feyenoord did not play at full strength. Gernot Trauner tested positive for corona and Tyrell Malacia had minor physical complaints, which put Fredrik Aursnes and Ramon Hendriks in the defense. Assistant coach John de Wolf did the honors on the sidelines, because Arne Slot also contracted the corona virus. Partizan, with Queensy Menig in the squad, needed an early goal to ease the tension somewhat. Feyenoord, however, was disciplined in the back and looked more threatening than the opponent.
Feyenoord thought to take the lead after more than half an hour. Guus Til hit the post and Cyriel Dessers shot from close range from the rebound. However, the arbitration incorrectly ruled that the striker was offside; because there is no video umpire in the Conference League, that decision did not change. Moments later, goalkeeper Nemanja Stevanovic made two saves on a long shot by Til. A minute before the break, things were going well for Dessers, who suddenly got a free kick from Toornstra to the hip, the ball changed direction considerably and Stevanovic therefore had no chance.
According to the Dutch rules, Toornstra would be credited with the goal, but UEFA awarded the goal to Dessers. The striker had a chance to make it 2-0 seven minutes after the break, but his shot went wide and turned out to have been offside. On the other side, Ofir Marciano had to intervene for the first time after a shot by Ricardo Gomes. When De Wolf, who called Slot during the game, wanted to take Reiss Nelson off the field, the attacker made it 2-0 when he was reached by Til just in front of goal and finished with an outstretched leg.
Shortly after, however, Partizan hit back. Toornstra blocked a wrong pass from Lazar Markovic, but unintentionally enabled Gomes to print from outside the penalty area: 2-1. Halfway through the second half, Markovic was close to equalizing, but he headed over after a cross from Menig. Partizan kept lurking for the 2-2. Bryan Linssen and Orkun Kökçü encountered Stevanovic, but Linssen hit the ball behind the goalkeeper in the short corner and thus determined the final score at 3-1.
Reiss Nelson supports Justin Bijlow after his goal against Partizan Belgrade ???? #feypar #feyenoord pic.twitter.com/jxsyFfvs3p
— Voetbalzone.nl (@ Voetbalzonenl) March 17, 2022