Feyenoord pick up shock 3-0 win against Bayern Munich to make huge step in the CL
A Feyenoord side severely weakened by injuries took a huge step towards progression to the next round in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday with a shock 3-0 win against German league leaders Bayern Munich. Santiago Gimenez scored twice, and Ayase Ueda added a third in injury time to seal a victory that will be remembered for years in Rotterdam.
The win will have felt especially sweet for the club’s manager, Brian Priske. Reports came through a few hours prior to the match from Danish press outlets that he was to be sacked as Feyenoord manager as a result of the inadequate results of late.
Feyenoord were hit by an injury crisis in midfield. They were left with only two fit midfielders, Calvin Stengs and Antoni Milambo. This led to Thomas Beelen being picked as he can play center midfield and center back. Gijs Smal was given the nod over Hugo Bueno at left-back.
The match was halted after just 30 seconds due to low visibility as a result of the smoke that had engulfed the pitch after Feyenoord fans set off fireworks pre-match.
Feyenoord took a surprise lead in the 21st minute. A magnificent long ball from Smal found striker Santiago Gimenez, whose touch and finish were inch-perfect, giving Manuel Neuer and the Bayern defence no chance of stopping it.
Fortune was on the Rotterdammers side around ten minutes later when Bayern winger Kingsley Coman dribbled past Gernot Trauner before hitting the post with his effort.
The German team was ramping up the pressure as their top scorer, Harry Kane, missed a huge chance to level the game in the 40th minute. The English striker had the ball laid on a plate for him inside the six-yard box but his effort was saved by Justin Bijlow in the Feyenoord goal.
Bijlow was forced into another good save a few minutes later. Only this time, it was to prevent a Feyenoord player from scoring an own goal. A Bayern corner was headed the completely wrong way by Calvin Stengs, forcing the keeper to make a fingertip save.
This was followed by the Rotterdammers being awarded a penalty. A clumsy tackle by Raphael Guerreiro, who had only just come onto the pitch to replace the injured Alphonso Davies, took out Stengs and led to the referee pointing to the spot. The penalty was taken by Gimenez, who made no mistake smashing it right into the corner to send Priske’s side into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Bijlow was playing a fantastic match. The keeper saved his team again with a brilliant save to stop Jamal Musiala’s header on the hour mark.
Vincent Kompany’s side hit the post for the second time in the match in the 70th minute. A cross by Kane found Leroy Sane in the box and the German winger headed the opportunity onto the post when all he had to do was get it on target.
The supporters in De Kuip exploded with joy in the 89th minute when the home team put the game to bed with their third goal. The referee did a great job playing advantage rather than whistling for a foul on Santiago Gimenez, which resulted in Antoni Milambo playing in Ayase Ueda, who calmly rolled it into the far corner.
It was a huge win for Feyenoord. The team is now very likely to have at least a playoff spot and could even get a spot in the top eight, which guarantees a bye past the next round if results go their way. They face Lille away on January 29.
