Preview: Feyenoord vs Heerenveen - prediction, team news, lineups

Feyenoord host Heerenveen at Stadion Feijenoord on Wednesday as the KNVB Beker second round serves up one of the rare all-Eredivisie matchups at this stage of the tournament.

The Rotterdam side come into the tie eager to bounce back after a 2–0 loss to Ajax last weekend, while the visitors travel south with confidence high following an emphatic 3–0 away win over Sparta Rotterdam.

Match preview

Feyenoord head into this KNVB Beker tie amid a challenging run of form that has threatened to derail their momentum in recent weeks. Results have been inconsistent, and confidence has taken a visible hit at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Robin van Persie’s side have managed just three wins from their last 10 matches across all competitions, suffering seven defeats in that span. That slump has seen them lose ground in the Eredivisie title race, where they currently sit second, nine points adrift of leaders PSV Eindhoven.

Defensively, Feyenoord have been vulnerable, conceding 23 goals in their last 10 outings, while scoring 20 at the other end. Notably, their three victories during this period have all come against teams in the bottom half of the table — bottom-placed Telstar, 15th-placed Volendam, and 11th-placed PEC Zwolle.

Despite their recent struggles, Feyenoord’s overall league numbers remain strong; they have scored 41 goals and conceded 20 in the Eredivisie, a defensive record that is joint-best in the division alongside PSV, Ajax and FC Twente.

However, their European campaign has been far less convincing, with just one win from six Europa League group matches, alongside five defeats, scoring seven goals and conceding 13.

The KNVB Beker offers a potential reset for the 14-time cup winners, who enter the competition at the second-round stage. The fixture carries added intrigue for Van Persie, who comes up against Heerenveen, a club he managed for nearly eight months.

Historically, Feyenoord have enjoyed the upper hand in this cup fixture, meeting Heerenveen five times in the KNVB Beker, recording three wins and one draw and a defeat, which came in February 2021 after Steven Berghuis was sent off in the 66th minute.

Heerenveen, meanwhile, have struggled for consistency this season, as they have collected just six wins from 17 matches across all competitions, with five of those victories coming in the Eredivisie, where they currently sit ninth.

The Super Frisians have scored 26 goals and conceded 26 in league play, alongside five draws and six defeats, and have managed only one clean sheet so far this season.

In the KNVB Beker, Heerenveen began their campaign in the first round, producing an impressive 3–0 away victory over VVV Venlo in October to secure their place in the second round.

Manager Robin Veldman, appointed in March 2025, has already enjoyed success against his predecessor, overseeing a 2–0 win in May when Van Persie returned to the Abe Lenstra Stadion just three months after leaving Heerenveen for Feyenoord.

Recent head-to-head form favours the hosts, as across the last six meetings, Heerenveen have won just one, conceding 14 goals and scoring five.

Their most recent encounter in September was particularly ill-tempered, with Anis Hadj Moussa sent off in the 57th minute following a VAR review, before Hristiyan Petrov was dismissed in the 72nd minute for a second bookable offence.

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

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Heerenveen KNVB Beker form:

Heerenveen form (all competitions):

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Team News

Robin van Persie will be without three senior players after they were released for international duty ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which gets underway on Sunday, December 21, 2025.

The absentees are forwards Gaoussou Diarra (Mali) and Anis Hadj Moussa (Morocco), along with midfielder Oussama Targhalline (Algeria). Between them, the trio have contributed seven goals and five assists across all competitions this season.

Feyenoord’s injury list remains lengthy, as Sem Steijn is sidelined with a hamstring issue, while Malcolm Jeng and Gernot Trauner are both unavailable due to Achilles injuries.

Givairo Read (hamstring), Thomas Beelen (broken leg), Jakub Moder (back problem), and Shiloh ’t Zand (unspecified issue) are also ruled out.

Heerenveen, by contrast, arrive with far fewer fitness concerns, as Veldman is only missing midfielder Levi Smans, who is recovering from a knee injury.

Jacob Trenskow and left-back Vasilios Zagaritis both found the net in last weekend’s win over Sparta and will be hoping to carry that momentum into this cup encounter.

Notably, Heerenveen have no players away on AFCON duty, and they will look to capitalise on Feyenoord’s absences and recent struggles as they push for a place in the next round of the KNVB Beker.

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Lotomba, Ahmedhodzic, Watanabe, Smal; Valente, Tengstedt, Timber; Borges, Sauer, Ueda

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Klaverboer; Braude, Kersten, Willemsen, Zagaritis; Linday, Van Overeem; Trenskow, Meerveld, Gurbuz; Vente

We say: Feyenoord 2-1 Heerenveen

Both sides arrive on the back of difficult spells, but Feyenoord’s superior attacking quality should give Van Persie’s men the edge to maintain their strong record in this fixture.

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