Igor Paixao Stars as Robin van Persie Secures his Maiden Victory as Feyenoord Manager

Robin van Persie celebrated his inaugural victory as manager of Feyenoord, guiding his team to a resounding 6-2 triumph over fourth-placed FC Twente in the picturesque setting of Enschede.

Just days after being knocked out of the Champions League by Serie A leaders Inter, Feyenoord faced a crucial clash against FC Twente, both vying for the coveted fourth position. The home team had remained unbeaten across their last six Eredivisie matches, adding to the challenge for van Persie as he aimed for his first success at the helm of Feyenoord.

The visitors received a welcome boost with the return of Igor Paixao, who had missed the away fixture in Milan due to injury but was fit again following a thigh problem. South Korean midfielder In-beom Hwang also returned to the starting lineup.

Feyenoord quickly established their dominance in Enschede, as the home side struggled to create any scoring opportunities while the visitors generated several in the early stages.

The scoring began with Japanese striker Ayase Ueda, who opened the account in the tenth minute. Young right-back Givairo Read delivered a pinpoint cross into the Twente box, allowing Ueda to head home without contest.

Paixao doubled Feyenoord’s advantage just four minutes later, intercepting a wayward cross-field pass from Matias Kjolo and blasting a half-volley into the net.

More defensive blunders would plague Twente, as Gustaf Lagerbielke struck his teammate Gijs Besselink in the face, gifting Paixao the ball inside the penalty area. Paixao sent a precise pass across the face of Lars Unnerstall’s goal, setting Ueda up for an effortless tap-in to make it 3-0 within just 23 minutes.

Twente managed to respond before the break through Eredivisie’s top scorer, Sem Steijn, who converted a penalty. However, the home crowd’s hopes were dampened when Igor Paixao restored Feyenoord’s two-goal cushion in the 53rd minute.

Paixao completed his hat-trick in under ten minutes after that, with Givairo Read providing another accurate ball into the box, allowing Paixao to finish confidently through Unnerstall’s legs.

Twente did find the net once more as Steijn scored again, but Aymen Sliti, who had made his debut for Feyenoord against Inter earlier in the week, capped off the scoring with his first senior goal in the 90th minute, with Paixao providing the assist. The Brazilian’s contribution included five direct goal involvements in the match.

Following a draw with NEC and two defeats to Inter, Robin van Persie finally secured his first victory as Feyenoord manager. The win propelled the Rotterdam outfit into fourth place, surpassing FC Twente and narrowing the gap to FC Utrecht to just two points, albeit with a game in hand.