Feyenoord Secures Gritty Victory Over Struggling AZ to Maintain Impressive Run

Robin van Persie’s Feyenoord secured a narrow 1-0 victory against AZ in Alkmaar, extending their winning streak in the Eredivisie to four matches.

Prior to this encounter, the Rotterdam squad had triumphed over FC Twente (6-2), Go Ahead Eagles (3-2), and FC Groningen (4-1) in the preceding three weeks. In contrast, AZ was struggling, having not claimed victory in their last four Eredivisie fixtures.

The first half was relatively uneventful, with AZ finding themselves in trouble multiple times due to poor defending. They ultimately conceded the opening goal when Zico Buurmeester mishandled a pass, leading to a midfielder inadvertently heading the ball into his own net over goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet.

Desperate to change their fortunes, AZ introduced Kees Smit and the returning Ruben van Bommel—son of former Barcelona and Bayern star Marc van Bommel—just ten minutes into the second half.

Feyenoord appeared to have doubled their advantage on two occasions during the latter half, yet goals from Anis Hadj Moussa and Julian Carranza were disallowed for offside and a foul.

With Timon Wellenreuther performing admirably, making five crucial saves—including a standout effort during injury time to deny a surprising attempt from Jayden Addai—Feyenoord managed to secure their fourth consecutive win in the Eredivisie.

Remarkably, Feyenoord became only the second team in the past 16 seasons to win a match without managing a shot on target. The Rotterdam side now trails PSV by just two points, with the reigning champions set to face FC Groningen later this evening.

On the other hand, AZ will need to regroup quickly, with a cup final looming in just two weeks. The Alkmaar-based team has managed just one triumph in their last seven fixtures across all competitions, seemingly resigning themselves to giving up the chase for a third-place finish.