Preview: Feyenoord vs. Groningen - prediction, team news, lineups

Winless in this fixture since 2019, Groningen travel to De Kuip to take on Feyenoord in Saturday’s 31st round of the Eredivisie.

While Robin van Persie’s men could not sustain a title challenge, they are also in danger of lacking the staying power in the race for coveted European positions, and their opponents will look to exploit that inconsistency in this weekend’s meeting.

Match preview

Feyenoord were once league leaders, but the Stadium Club’s aspirations for a 17th Eredivisie crown faded into thin air almost as soon as they emerged.

While Van Persie’s men have stayed in the top two for most of the season, the Rotterdam giants are in danger of falling outside the top three this weekend if results are unfavourable.

With NEC a point behind and fourth-placed FC Twente two adrift, failure to secure maximum points on Saturday could see either side leapfrog De Stadionclub, with the third-placed side welcoming Twente to Nijmegen in the ongoing gameweek.

Recent results have done little to help a Feyenoord side looking to create separation from the chasing pack, even if they have been beaten just once in the last nine top-flight fixtures.

Many of those matches have ended in draws, with the latest seeing Van Persie’s side concede a 97th-minute equaliser to NEC in Nijmegen after Ayase Ueda’s early strike, having led for most of the fixture.

Entering Saturday on the back of three consecutive stalemates and four in the past five gameweeks, fans at De Kuip will hope their history of success against Groningen serves them well one more time.

However, Dick Lukkien will hope to be the first manager to beat the Rotterdam side since February 2019, when the Pride of the North secured a 1-0 win.

Despite drawing four of their next five encounters, the FC lost five of their next six meetings across all competitions, managing only a draw in a 2-2 encounter in September 2024.

Further highlighting Groningen’s inferiority is their inability to get the better of Feyenoord in Rotterdam since April 2007, a 19-year wait since thrashing the Stadium Club 4-0.

Nevertheless, Lukkien will aim to leverage an ongoing five-match unbeaten streak to finally end a miserable record at De Kuip, with the travelling fans’ optimism further enhanced by their side’s run of three clean sheets against AZ Alkmaar (3-0), Telstar (2-0) and Go Ahead Eagles (0-0).

Another positive outcome, however, will require De FC to end their hosts’ five-match unbeaten run in Rotterdam, having won four during the ongoing spell, if they are to end nearly 20 years without success at De Kuip.

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Groningen Eredivisie form:

Team News

Tobias van den Elshout will undergo assessment, but Van Persie’s team are still dealing with several injuries, with Hwang In-beom, Gijs Smal, Anel Ahmedhodzic, Shaqueel van Persie, Sem Steijn, Malcolm Jeng, Jordan Bos, Leo Sauer, Bart Nieuwkoop and Thomas Beelen all sidelined.

Denied a seventh match-winning goal against NEC last time out, Ueda will aim to go again this weekend as he looks to add to his impressive top-flight tally of 23 strikes.

Having scored four game-deciding goals from eight overall, Anis Hadj Moussa will look to contribute decisively to the home side’s bid to stay in second.

Although Groningen do not have a crippling injury list, the Pride of the North are without Oskar Zawada (arm) and Stije Resink (knee) this weekend.

With Resink (five goals, five assists) missing, De FC will lean on Thom van Bergen (12 goal contributions) and Younes Taha (11) to score and assist as they chase a positive result in Rotterdam.

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Deijl, Watanabe, Kraaijeveld, Lotomba; Valente, Moder, Targhalline; Moussa, Ueda, Borges

Groningen possible starting lineup:

Vaessen; Rente, Blokzijl, Janse, Peersman; De Jonge, Land; Taha, Van Der Werff, Schreuders; Van Bergen