Feyenoord win for the sixth time in a row; Vitesse and Excelsior win the derbies
Feyenoord won their sixth match in a row on Saturday in de Kuip against Go Ahead Eagles. The Rotterdammers won 3-1 due to goals from Yankubah Minteh, Calvin Stengs, and Santiago Gimenez.
Minteh gave Feyenoord the lead a few minutes before halftime. The winger, who is on loan from Newcastle, had a goal disallowed a few minutes earlier after a VAR review, but there was no stopping his second strike. Lutsharel Geertruida played a clever ball into Minteh, who then dribbled past two defenders in the box before placing the ball through the legs of Go Ahead goalkeeper Jeffrey de Lange to send Feyenoord into the break with the lead.
Go Ahead did not make it as easy for Feyenoord as they have been used to as of late in the Eredivisie, but the reigning champions did double their lead in the 57th minute. Quilindschy Hartman played a great ball across the six-yard box to Calvin Stengs, who only needed to tap it home.
Santiago Gimenez was starting to find space against the tiring Go Ahead defence, and he got his goal fifteen minutes from time. The Mexican striker controlled the ball before turning away from his defender and placing it into the net. Go Ahead got a consolation goal after 85 minutes after a good finish by substitute Sylla Sow.
There were two derbies on Sunday, and dramatic late-winning goals decided both. Vitesse ended a run of five straight defeats by beating NEC Nijmegen in the Gelderse Derby.
The Arnhemmers took the lead after five minutes played when Marco van Ginkel headed home from a cross by Kacper Kozlowski. NEC equalized twenty minutes later through Danish midfielder Magnus Mattsson.
And that seemed like it would be the final score until Vitesse got a late winner by Dominik Oroz. The centre-back headed a free kick, giving Robin Roefs no chance in the NEC goal. Philip Cocu’s side put the game to bed when Million Manhoef broke away and chipped the ball into the corner.
An emotional Rotterdam derby was played at Woudestein between Excelsior and Sparta on Sunday. There was a minute silence before the match due to the victims of the shooting at the Erasmus MC on Thursday.
Sparta took the lead when Jonathan de Guzman volleyed home just before the hour mark. Excelsior leveled four minutes later through Arthur Zagre. The full-back played a one-two with striker Nikolas Agrafiotis before smashing the ball into the roof of the net.
Troy Parrott scored the late winner in the dying seconds to send the Excelsior fans into wild celebrations. The young Irish striker volleyed the ball hard into the corner after midfielder Redouan El Yaakoubi had come through to play him in.