Feyenoord reached the quarter-finals of the TOTO KNVB Cup with great difficulty on Wednesday. The team from Rotterdam defeated NEC in a spectacle via penalties, after the match in De Kuip had ended in 4-4 after extra time.
Calvin Verdonk opened the score for NEC after more than half an hour. Just before half-time, Pedro Marques doubled the lead, so that the team from Nijmegen seemed to be on their way to a cup stunt.
Feyenoord regularly encountered the excellent NEC keeper Mattijs Branderhorst in the second half and had to fear elimination. But in the final phase, coach Arne Slot’s team still forced an extension.
First Orkun Kökçü used a penalty and NEC had to continue with ten men due to a red card for Philippe Sandler. In injury time, Igor Paixão made it 2-2.
In that extra time, Feyenoord fell behind again despite the surplus situation due to a goal by Jordy Bruijn. Santiago Giménez quickly equalized, after which Javairô Dilrosun seemed to shoot the home team to the win with a beautiful goal.
A minute later, Bruijn equalized again, after which a penalty series had to bring the decision. Feyenoord turned out to be the strongest with 5-3. On Saturday evening, the leader in the Eredivisie will hear who will be the opponent in the quarter-finals of the KNVB Cup.
Feyenoord at halftime with 0-2 behind
After a minute’s silence due to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, Feyenoord took the initiative in the opening phase, but that did not lead to great opportunities. On the other hand, it was a hit in the 33rd minute via Verdonk, who hit the target after a nice assist from Oussama Tannane.
Just before half-time, Marques made it 0-2 from a messy situation and it became a difficult evening for Feyenoord. Slot’s team created quite a few chances in the second half, but star Branderhorst kept his team going. The NEC goalkeeper made no fewer than 23 saves over the entire match.
Feyenoord seemed on its way to elimination, but in the ninetieth minute the home team received a penalty after hands from Sandler. The NEC player received a red card, after which Kökçü took advantage of the opportunity. Two minutes later, Paixão brought De Kuip into ecstasy by heading in the 2-2 and forcing extra time.
Dilrosun scores a great goal in extra time
In extra time, NEC took the lead despite a man less surprisingly via Bruijn, who rounded off a counter. Feyenoord was not upset and made it 2-2 two minutes later via Giménez, who headed in from a Dilrosun cross.
The same Dilrosun seemed to shoot the team from Rotterdam to victory with a magnificent goal in the 116th minute. The attacker placed the ball beautifully in the top left corner. But moments later, NEC managed to pull out a penalty series via another goal from Bruijn.
Feyenoord still pulled the longest end of it. All players of the home team hit, while Ilias Bronkhorst was the only one to miss on behalf of NEC.
