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

Four months after defeating Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, Heerenveen travel to De Kuip for Saturday's gameweek five fixture, aiming for consecutive wins over former boss Robin van Persie.

Robin Veldman's men ended their long wait for success over the Rotterdam-based club on the final day of the previous season, but they will need to perform at a significantly higher level to break a nine-year wait for victory at De Kuip.

Match preview

Still the only side yet to drop points in the 2025-26 season, Van Persie's Feyenoord are favourites to maintain their flawless start this weekend.

Although they have played one fewer game than the three other clubs on nine points — NEC, Utrecht and PSV Eindhoven — the Rotterdam-based team have benefitted from their robust defence.

The Stadium Club have conceded just once across three Eredivisie matches against NAC Breda, Excelsior and the Rotterdam derby against Sparta, winning 2-0, 2-1 and 4-0, respectively.

Having missed out on Champions League football after falling to Fenerbahce, Van Persie's team have responded to their European setback by beating Excelsior and Sparta and aim to secure three consecutive victories.

That goal remains achievable despite a recent 2-0 defeat to Heerenveen in Friesland during their most recent fixture in May, when the Rotterdam giants were beaten.

That victory ended De Superfriezen's five-match losing run against Feyenoord in all competitions, and they had been winless in eight matches before May's triumph.

That win now seems distant, especially as Veldman’s team have yet to secure maximum points from their first four top-flight games in 2025-26, losing two and drawing two.

One clear issue is the Super Frisians’ inability to keep clean sheets, with a 1-1 draw against promoted FC Volendam in gameweek one, followed by two 2-1 defeats to Groningen and Twente and a 2-2 draw when Go Ahead Eagles visited before the international break.

Heerenveen's run of conceding two goals in three straight games is undoubtedly harming their chances of winning, with the latter draw against Go Ahead Eagles resulting from a 93rd-minute goal conceded after De Superfriezen had overturned a 1-0 deficit.

Having finished ninth last season, sitting second-bottom after four games was certainly not part of the plan for Veldman, who aims to secure another victory against the man who held the fort in Friesland before leaving for the current league leaders in February.

Feyenoord Eredivisie form:

Feyenoord form (all competitions):

Heerenveen Eredivisie form:

Team News

Van Persie's men are troubled by several injury concerns, with Gernot Trauner (Achilles) doubtful, while Jordan Lotomba (knock), Hwang In-beom (calf), Thomas Beelen (leg), Jakub Moder (back) and Shiloh 't Zand are unlikely to feature for Feyenoord.

Ayase Ueda has scored 50% of the home team’s eight goals this season, and the forward hopes to add to his four strikes on Saturday.

The Japanese forward will be supported by Sem Steijn, who has scored two, created nine chances and fashioned three clear-cut opportunities so far this season.

In contrast to Feyenoord, Heerenveen have considerably fewer injury concerns, with Pawel Bochniewicz (knee) and Levi Smans (knee) both unlikely to participate against the table-topping hosts.

Only Jacob Trenskow has scored more than once for De Superfriezen this season, and the forward hopes to extend his tally as the second-bottom team travel to the club at the top of the table.

Feyenoord possible starting lineup:

Wellenreuther; Nieuwkoop, Ahmedhodzic, Watanabe, Bos; Valente, Timber; Sauer, Steijn, Moussa; Ueda

Heerenveen possible starting lineup:

Noppert; Braude, Kersten, Hopland, Zagaritis; Linday, Meerveld, Van Overeem; Trenskow, Vente, Rivera

We say: Feyenoord 2-0 Heerenveen

Heerenveen go into Saturday’s gameweek five clash as one of four top-flight clubs yet to win a match this season, and that four-match run is not expected to end this weekend at a ground where they have been winless since January 2016.

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