Feyenoord and Van Persie Secure Third Place with Stellar Performance from Paixao

Feyenoord has continued their impressive run in the Eredivisie, securing a third consecutive victory with a decisive 4-1 win over FC Groningen.

After a difficult start to his Feyenoord tenure, Robin van Persie has turned the fortunes around with a commanding 6-2 victory against FC Twente prior to the international break, followed by a thrilling 3-2 win over Go Ahead Eagles last Sunday for his first victory at home as manager.

Key to these victories has been Brazilian winger Igor Paixao, who has netted four goals and provided two assists. However, it was his fellow winger Anis Hadj Moussa who opened the scoring against FC Groningen, converting calmly at the near post after a pass from midfielder Antoni Milambo just 10 minutes into the match.

The initial exchanges were fairly even, with both teams creating chances within the first half-hour, but Groningen was unable to match Feyenoord’s attacking firepower.

Instead, it was Paixao who doubled the lead with a stunning curling shot into the top corner, marking his fifth goal in just three appearances.

Groningen responded quickly, though, as Wouter Prins sent a low cross that Jorg Schreuders converted to score his first goal since October 2024.

After a powerful strike from former Brighton player Jakob Moder rattled the crossbar, Feyenoord nearly restored their two-goal cushion just before halftime, but Julian Carraza’s goal was ruled out for offside.

The second half saw both sides struggling to find space, leading to a stalemate with few clear-cut chances.

It wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Feyenoord managed to restore their two-goal advantage—Paixao scored yet again, combining with Givairo Read and Ramiz Zerrouki to find the back of the net.

Then, in the dying moments of the game, Brighton loanee Ibrahim Osman sealed the win for Feyenoord with a well-placed effort into the bottom corner, ending Groningen’s hopes of a comeback.

With this win, Feyenoord moves ahead of FC Utrecht into third place, positioning themselves nicely for a spot in the Champions League qualifying rounds, while FC Groningen remains in eighth position following this defeat.