Feyenoord took an important step on Sunday towards securing third place in the Eredivisie. The day after the loss of points by competitor FC Twente against Heracles Almelo (1-1), the team from Rotterdam easily won 1-3 against Fortuna Sittard. This gives Feyenoord a five-point lead over Twente. Lutsharel Geertruida scored two goals; Reiss Nelson made it 0-3, then Zian Flemming did something back.
It soon became clear that Feyenoord could save strength with a view to the return match against Olympique Marseille in the Conference League on Thursday. Arne Slot’s team was supreme in the first half and made the difference. Geertruida scored twice. The right-back struck for the first time in the eighth minute, heading in on a turning corner from Orkun Kökçü. Goalkeeper Yanick van Osch went completely under the ball and was allowed to count the early goal against.
Van Osch corrected his mistake by parrying a penalty after more than fifteen minutes. After a foul by Mickaël Tirpan on Tyrell Malacia, Kökçü was allowed to moor from eleven meters, but his effort was tapped out of the bottom corner by Osch. Not much later, Feyenoord still scored 0-2. Guus Til served Reiss Nelson, who entered the penalty area and sent a low cross. Geertruida then rounded off with the left and determined the halftime score. Fortuna did not create any great chances, apart from a header from Paul Gladon.
Feyenoord held back with two goals before half-time. It wasn’t just the penalty that went wrong: Cyriel Dessers missed good opportunities and Malacia hit the crossbar from close by. In the second half, the 0-3 followed. After a through ball from Til, Nelson ruffed the slipping Roel Janssen, before hitting the goal with a low shot through the inside of both posts. Luis Sinisterra hit the side net and failed to make the 0-4.
On the other side, Til prevented Janssen from making it 1-3 with his last action. After a shot by Tesfaldet Tekie, Janssen changed the ball’s direction with his head, but Til was in the right place on the goal line. Until then, it was Fortuna’s biggest chance, which reduced the tension somewhat shortly afterwards. After a measured pass from Mats Seuntjens from the right wing, Zian Flemming took the ball straight from the air in the penalty area: 1-3. Geertruida failed to complete his hat-trick and Bryan Linssen encountered Van Osch, while Fortuna was unable to increase the tension despite a few threatening moments.