Feyenoord made it five wins from five on Wednesday night, as they beat a stubborn Fortuna Sittard 2-0 at De Kuip to continue their time at the Eredivisie summit.
Robin van Persie’s offensive approach was quickly established ahead of this clash, as he told journalists that he’d rather leave the pitch with a 6-4 win than a meagre 1-0. However, with the creative outlet of Anis Hadj Moussa suspended, and Fortuna readily sitting deep, this was easier said than done.
The Limburg side, as Mikos Gouka of the AD explained, “retreated en masse to their own half”, yet the dominant hosts still managed to make the breakthrough in a soaking wet Rotterdam-Zuid just before the break.
In a reputable, depth-displaying style, Luciano Valente’s replacement made an impact. Oussama Targhalline was the key to the opening goal at De Kuip and, admittedly, the player of the match. The Moroccan international pressed Fortuna Sittard’s Jasper Dahlhaus, and poked the ball through for the in-form Ayase Ueda to open his body up on the right and find the bottom-left corner.
5 games in and Ayase Ueda has just bagged his 5th Eredivisie goal of the season with a lovely first time finish.
He’s already matched his tally from his first season in the Netherlands.pic.twitter.com/c1JwmxsSCW
— Japanese Football (@JapaneseFbl) September 17, 2025
In a second half that saw 13 shots and just three on target from the hosts, Feyenoord eventually struck their second in the 72nd minute. After the home side displayed solid defensive foundations as Givairo Read stopped a Fortuna attack, Quinten Timber fuelled the counter and lofted Aymen Sliti through on the right. The youngster celebrated his new contract until 2029 with a superb low drive into the bottom-right corner.
Aymen Sliti pic.twitter.com/vz5uGogDn6
— ELTUNSI 94 (@Zzr944) September 17, 2025
Speaking after the game, Givairo Read told ESPN NL about Fortuna’s negative set-up, “We were dominant, we had the ball a lot. We didn’t expect anything different (from them). We’ve trained for it.”
Read, who came on late in the game and wore the captain’s armband for the first time, continued, “If it goes like this, I don’t have much to complain about. Of course, you want to play better, but it’s all about the three points.”
Knowing that PSV and Ajax will face each other, Feyenoord now prepare for a crucial weekend. They face their first real test on Sunday afternoon against AZ in Alkmaar. A good result automatically means they’ll further distance themselves from one of their rivals in the race for the league title.
That ultimately remains the goal, although Van Persie didn’t really mention the rival clubs in his post-match thoughts. “I occasionally watch Ajax and PSV. But that’s about it. I’m mainly focused on Feyenoord, and I want us to improve a little every day. That applies to the players, but also to me.”
Best league start since 2016-2017 #feyforpic.twitter.com/h5oJolF7LP
— Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) September 17, 2025
