Round 22 of the Eredivisie sets the stage for a Rotterdam derby, with out-of-sorts Feyenoord hosting a resurgent Sparta Rotterdam side still battling relegation.
The hosts are desperate to end a three-match losing streak across all competitions and secure their first league win of the year, while their neighbours arrive with renewed belief after collecting eight points from their last four games.
Match preview
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Victims of a gruelling run of away fixtures, Feyenoord's struggles deepened on Wednesday as they crashed out of the KNVB Cup with a 2-0 quarter-final defeat at PSV Eindhoven, falling behind to a Johan Bakayoko opener before Guus Til sealed their fate.
That result added to their woes, coming just days after their humbling 6-1 defeat away to Lille in their final Champions League group stage match, though they still secured a place in the playoffs and will now face Italian giants AC Milan for a spot in the knockout rounds.
The other setback in their ongoing slump was a 2-1 top-flight loss at Ajax's Johan Cruyff Arena, sandwiched between those two setbacks, leaving De Stadionclub fifth in the Eredivisie standings on 36 points, trailing third-placed AZ Alkmaar by one, FC Utrecht by four and league leaders PSV by 16, though Feyenoord have a game in hand on all three.
That loss to Francesco Farioli's side also extended their winless run in the top flight to four matches, consisting of three defeats and one draw, with their last league victory dating back to mid-December 2024, when Brian Priske's side edged past Heracles at home.
Returning to familiar surroundings after their challenging away stretch, Feyenoord will take confidence from their recent dominance in this fixture, having won their last four meetings against their city rivals at De Kuip.
The hosts have collected 17 points from five victories, two draws and two defeats on their turf, leaving them with the seventh-best home record in the division.
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In contrast, Sparta's season has taken a turn for the better in 2025, as they head into this clash enjoying their most promising run of form this campaign.
Having now gone four games unbeaten for the second time this season, the Red-White Gladiators have secured back-to-back league victories for the first time, first stunning AZ with a last-minute winner before grinding out a 1-0 triumph against Groningen at Sparta Stadion.
Despite those results, Sparta remain in the relegation playoff spot, but manager Maurice Steijn will be encouraged by his side's resurgence, particularly after they ended 2023 without a win in 13 matches, scraping just three draws in a torrid run littered with defeats.
Looking to maintain their upward trajectory, the Castle Lords will take further confidence from their solid away record, having earned 12 points on their travels, the seventh-best tally in the division.
Team News
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Feyenoord remain without Justin Bijlow, who sustained a knee injury in the defeat to Lille after landing awkwardly while attempting to collect a cross.
Chris-Kevin Nadje is also unavailable after undergoing foot surgery, meaning the midfielder will miss a fifth consecutive game, while Calvin Stengs could be sidelined for a fourth straight outing due to a hamstring issue.
Ramiz Zerrouki has been absent for the last four matches with a leg injury, while long-term casualty Jordan Lotomba continues his recovery from a broken leg.
With no fresh injuries or suspensions, Steijn could stick with the same lineup from their previous outing, meaning Tobias Lauritsen will once again lead the attack.
The Norwegian forward, who netted the dramatic stoppage-time winner against Groningen, is expected to be supported by Kristian Hlynsson, Shunsuke Mito and Mitchell van Bergen in an advanced midfield three, though the latter two may also operate from the flanks.
Feyenoord possible starting lineup:
Wellenreuther; Nieuwkoop, Trauner, Hancko, Bueno; Milambo, Hwang, Moder; Moussa, Ueda, Paixao
Sparta Rotterdam possible starting lineup:
Olij; Bakari, Young, Eerdhuijzen, Van Aanholt; Clement, Eiting; Mito, Hlynsson, Van Bergen; Lauritsen
We say: Feyenoord 3-2 Sparta Rotterdam
Given Feyenoord's recent struggles, they could face a tough test against their resurgent neighbours, but with their strong record against Sparta at De Kuip and the backing of their home crowd, they should have enough to scale through and end their winless streak.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
