Preview: FC Utrecht vs. Feyenoord - prediction, team news, lineups

Winless since mid-December, FC Utrecht host second-placed Feyenoord at Stadion Galgenwaard, aiming to end their seven-match run without victory in Sunday’s gameweek 22 clash.

Six of those seven games have ended in defeat, a disappointing sequence for Ron Jans’s men, who hope to turn the tide against a team that have lost two in a row and are now realistically out of the Eredivisie title race.

Match preview

Utrecht must have been delighted to see the back of a wretched January, when they failed to secure a win across five games to start 2026.

A closer look shows that Jans’s team were beaten in all five matches, a sequence of losses that stands at six if their defeat to close out 2025 is included; however, February began on a more positive footing as they claimed a point away to Heerenveen.

The draw marked the first time in over a month that Domstedelingen avoided defeat, having last won when they beat TOP Oss 2-0 in the KNVB Beker second round on December 17.

Although the six subsequent defeats were all by one or two-goal margins, the draining of confidence was unmistakable, with the team slipping to 12th in the table.

Aiming to take positives from last weekend’s point, Utrecht head into Sunday’s fixture seeking their first home win in any competition since early November.

Since defeating Ajax 2-1 on November 9, Utreg have suffered five defeats in a row after drawing 1-1 with FC Twente, and they aim to end a three-month run without success at Stadion Galgenwaard.

That ambition is diminished by this fixture’s precedent, with Utrecht losing seven of the past 10 meetings with Feyenoord, including six of the most recent seven encounters, underlining the wider gap between the clubs.

The Stadionclub should, in theory, be favourites to take maximum points, given the head-to-head record and the largely one-sided nature of this match-up.

However, Robin van Persie’s men continue to flounder after a strong start to the season that hinted at a title challenge.

The Rotterdam giants began the campaign by winning seven of their first eight matches, drawing the only game they did not win – a 3-3 result against AZ Alkmaar in gameweek five.

During that run, the Stadionclub kept five clean sheets, fuelling optimism about a possible title tilt as they sought a 17th Eredivisie crown and their first since the 2022-23 season.

A 3-2 home defeat to PSV Eindhoven in round nine effectively sent their season into a tailspin, with the Dutch giants winning just four of their next 11 league fixtures and suffering five defeats in that period.

Their latest setback also came against PSV in Eindhoven, where Van Persie’s team conceded three times in a disastrous opening 20 minutes, effectively ending the contest.

That loss not only marked Feyenoord’s sixth defeat of the campaign, it also means they head into gameweek 22 a staggering 17 points behind the defending champions.

While they have enjoyed a dominant run against Utrecht, not even the most optimistic supporter will view any positive result this weekend as the revival of their title prospects.

Those dreams are realistically over, with Feyenoord on 39 points and now facing a four-way battle to finish in the coveted top two places to guarantee Champions League qualification next season, or at least secure third, which offers a route into Europe’s premier club competition.

FC Utrecht Eredivisie form:

FC Utrecht form (all competitions):

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

Team News

Jesper Karlsson will be assessed after going off injured in the 64th minute of the draw with Heerenveen, possibly joining Souffian El Karouani, Zidane Iqbal (knee), Sebastien Haller (ribs) and Siebe Horemans as touch-and-go for Sunday.

However, the hosts are without the trio of David Min (ankle), Victor Jensen (knee) and Mike Eerdhuijzen for the visit of the 16-time top-flight champions.

Without Jensen’s five league goals, Utrecht will lean on Gjivai Zechiel and Dani de Wit to add to their tallies of four and three goals, respectively, for the out-of-form hosts.

Fortunately for Utrecht, they face another injury-hit side, albeit one 11 places above them in the table.

Van Persie’s extensive list of absentees includes Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Gijs Smal, Thomas Beelen, Givairo Read, Gaoussou Diarra, Sam Steijn, Gernot Trauner, Shiloh ’t Zand, Shaqueel van Persie and Malcolm Jeng.

Definitely missing is Goncalo Borges, who was dismissed for an 84th-minute foul against PSV, ruling him out of Sunday’s trip due to suspension.

Ayase Ueda has been unable to add to his 19 goals across the league and Europe since scoring four against PEC Zwolle in early December, with his drought extending to eight games without finding the back of the net.

While Anis Hadj Moussa could not score or assist last time out, the Algeria international’s six goals and four assists underline his match-winning qualities.

FC Utrecht possible starting lineup:

Barkas; Vesterlund, Didden, Van der Hoorn, Bozdogan; Engwanda, Zechiel; Cathline, De Wit, Alarcon; Rodriguez

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Deijl, St. Juste, Ahmedhodzic, Bos; Hwang, Valente Targhalline; Moussa, Ueda, Sauer

We say: FC Utrecht 1-1 Feyenoord

Considering both squads are currently ravaged by injuries, this clash could descend into a scrappy battle of attrition rather than a tactical masterclass.

A low-scoring draw would stem the bleeding for both managers without truly satisfying either fanbase.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.