Feyenoord reached the final of the Conference League on Thursday evening by eliminating OIympique Marseille (0-0). Foreign media mainly focus on the strong defense of the team from Rotterdam, who easily remained upright in the Stade Vélodrome and kept the French from scoring. ‘The wall of Feyenoord rejects Marseille: the Netherlands goes to the final’, headlines La Gazzetta dello Sport†
The team of trainer Arne Slot had enough on Thursday evening in Marseille to reach the final after the 3-2 home win a week before. Marseille did everything they could to get their much-needed goal on the scoresheet, but failed to break through the Rotterdam defence. The Belgian The last news compliments ‘the strong acting center Trauner and Senesi and nobody’s confused backs Geertruida and Malacia’. The Daily Mail is also full of praise for Slot’s team. “Feyenoord got rid of Olympique Marseille quite easily.”
Both kicker if Sport add statistics. The German magazine writes that ‘Feyenoord defended strongly and also remained unbeaten in Europe for the twelfth time in a row’. The Spaniards refer to the last time the Rotterdammers played a European final. “Feyenoord celebrated the fact that they are playing a European final again after twenty years.” In Italy, where they are known for their excellent defenses, the people of Rotterdam are praised for their defensive qualities. “They defended well and hardly got into trouble,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport† According to Tuttosport the French were simply no match for the defense of Feyenoord. “Marseille failed to break down Feyenoord’s defensive wall.”
While the foreign media mainly focus on the Rotterdam defence, the French mainly mention the lack of Dimitri Payet. The star player from Marseille was forced to be replaced after half an hour with an injury. “Was Marseille knocked out in the thirtieth minute when Dimitri Payet had to give up the fight?”, asks L’Equipe wonder out loud. “Just like in the 2018 Europa League final against Atlético Madrid, he had to leave his teammates early and things didn’t work out.” Le Figaro writes that ‘with the departure of the irreplaceable Payet, the game got messy’. “This was it, it’s over,” the French newspaper continues.
† DON’T YOU HEAR THAT THEN?! #omfey † #UECL https://t.co/1x7nmeBKrb pic.twitter.com/QT5oyWeGGt
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) May 6, 2022
“The stadium played its role as the twelfth man, but it was the three thousand Dutch fans who had traveled with them who had the last word. This creates a bad aftertaste, especially because the number three in the Netherlands did not make much of an impression. have fully deserved the final place”, goes Le Figaro further. Le Monde states that Marseille has left it in the first game in De Kuip. “The disappointment of the mistakes in the first game will always remain. Marseille was paralyzed by the intensity of Feyenoord and the ambiance of De Kuip.”
ASH-journalist Andrés Onrubia Ramos concludes: “Feyenoord persevered without hesitation, resisted with fury and pride and qualified for the final. This is a team that knows when to play in high rhythms and when to be pragmatic. Well done, Slot “I want to highlight Lutsharel Geertruida and Tyrell Malacia. With them, the Dutch national team has two full-backs with an extraordinary future.”