NEC Nijmegen host Feyenoord on 5 September 2026, seventh against third in the early Eredivisie standings with NEC on six points from three games and Feyenoord on eight from four. Both are chasing European spots and the bigger question is whether Feyenoord can hold things together with half their squad on the treatment table. Dick Schreuder and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have not faced each other before, so there is no tactical history to lean on: Schreuder took charge at NEC on 1 July 2025 after Rogier Meijer left, while van Bronckhorst returned to Feyenoord around 17 June 2026 to replace Robin van Persie and without prior meetings this one will be about reading each other in real time rather than finding holes in an established game plan.
NEC arrive in good shape having won 3-1 away at PEC Zwolle, with two wins from their last three matches overall. Feyenoord remain unbeaten despite a 2-2 draw at home to ADO Den Haag, a result they clawed back after going 2-0 down. Coming back from two goals down at home suggests they will not fold if NEC get an early goal, though that kind of resilience is easier to call on with a full squad available.
NEC are missing Philippe Sandler, Darko Nejasmic, Deveron Fonville and Yassin Moslih through injury, which thins their defensive options and puts pressure on Schreuder to find cover for a pressing system that depends on athleticism and positional reliability. Feyenoord's situation is considerably worse: Jordan Bos, Bart Nieuwkoop, Jeremiah St. Juste, Gijs Smal, Thomas Beelen and Jakub Moder are all out, with Moder still working his way back from knee surgery. Ayase Ueda has also departed, sold to Lille OSC, meaning Nacho Ferri leads the line while van Bronckhorst pieces together a backline that clearly is not what he had in mind at this stage of the season.
NEC set up in a fluid 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2, pressing high and looking to win the ball in Feyenoord's half. Tjaronn Chery sits behind Bryan Linssen as the creative outlet, threading passes into the channels behind Feyenoord's defensive line and the wing backs push high when possession is won. Luciano Valente will be the player Feyenoord need to relieve that pressure, dictating tempo and keeping the ball in central areas as NEC's press closes in, with Feyenoord's defensive absences pushing them toward a compact shape that risks inviting exactly the kind of intensity NEC want to generate. Anis Hadj Moussa is the likeliest counter attacking outlet, the player who punishes disorganised defensive lines when space opens up behind the press. If the Chery vs Valente battle goes NEC's way and Linssen gets clean looks at a makeshift Feyenoord backline, there is enough there for the hosts to make this uncomfortable for the full ninety minutes.
Feyenoord have won 13 of 23 meetings between the sides, with NEC winning just three and seven drawn. Recent encounters have been tighter than that record suggests and the scale of Feyenoord's current injury problems makes a return to those historically lopsided scorelines look unlikely.
Dead balls matter more than usual here because both defences are fragile enough to be hurt from set pieces, with NEC looking to Chery and Linssen for near post threats while Feyenoord rely on organised zonal marking to cover for their missing centre backs. Fitness levels should be high on both sides given the early matchweek slot, which ought to allow NEC to sustain their pressing intensity for ninety minutes if Schreuder manages the rotations right.
Feyenoord to win 2-1. NEC will press hard and likely score and it is easy to see Chery driving that moment, whether through a free kick or a pass that splits the defensive line. But Feyenoord have Valente to keep the ball under pressure, Hadj Moussa to punish any defensive line that gets stretched in transition and Ferri as a focal point who will cause problems for a defence already short of cover. Feyenoord have enough in behind to punish NEC if the press opens space and that is where the second goal is likely to come from, with Sandler's absence from NEC's backline potentially the most costly of the four injuries by the final whistle.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
