Analyst looks ahead to the second half of the women’s premier league season

Pro ShotsChasity Grant from Ajax in a duel with Marisa Olislagers from FC Twente

NOS Voetbal•gisteren, 09:44

Anyone who looks at the standings of the women’s premier league will think that the season is already over. Leader FC Twente has not yet lost a point and without a promotion/relegation scheme, the battle for honor is mainly at the bottom.

But still, says analyst Leonne Stentler, there is still plenty to look forward to in the second half of the season, which starts this weekend with six games in the twelfth round.

“I just have to see if they can keep it up,” says former Ajax player Stentler about FC Twente’s ten-point lead over her old club. “They do win, but sometimes it’s really difficult. They are less stable and convincing than in previous years. And last season they were at the top in every round, but they also left it at the supreme moment.”

View the program and the standings of the women’s premier league:

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Last year things indeed went wrong at the last minute for the team from Enschede. In the penultimate round, Ajax won in a direct match against FC Twente, becoming the leader and taking away the title.

But there is an important difference compared to last season. While both clubs were stable at the time, there is now unrest in Amsterdam. During the winter break it was announced that coach Suzanne Bakker will have to leave after this season, despite the good performances in the Champions League.

NOSTtrainer Suzanne Bakker became champion with Ajax last season

“The big question now is whether that will affect the rest of Ajax’s season,” says Stentler. “Will the players all still support it, or will you no longer listen to a coach who will soon be forced to leave?”

Champions League-ticket

Apart from the battle for first place – if there will be one – there is another interesting battle going on in the competition: the battle for second place. Because there is also a ticket for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League available for the runner-up. Stentler predicts an exciting denouement.

“Fortuna Sittard, Ajax, PSV and PEC Zwolle hardly differ from each other.” Although the question is whether PEC Zwolle continues to have a chance of winning the ticket. “They get off to a good start every year. They play with so much courage and bravado, it is a real pleasure to watch. But they never actually last the entire season.”

Pro ShotsPEC talent Bo van Egmond

There are also teams that stand out in a negative way. Feyenoord, for example. After the club made a surprisingly good debut in the Premier League two seasons ago, its performance has deteriorated every year. The team, which has a lot of difficulty scoring goals, is now in a disappointing tenth place.

Striking transfer

Stentler: “They would like a striker, but they apparently cannot attract one. That is also difficult if you do not have the money of Ajax or PSV, or the results of Twente.” However, Feyenoord managed to bring in a new player this transfer period: the Japanese defender Toko Koga.

“That surprised me,” Stentler admits. “I thought: wow, that she didn’t go to another club. Koga is really an asset. She is only 18 years old, but already an international player and very mature in her game. And she can play in several positions at the back.”

FeyenoordToko Koga signs a contract with Feyenoord until mid-2026

A player to watch out for, then. And there are more of them, Stentler tips. “Goalkeeper Daniëlle de Jong is doing very well at FC Twente. It was a smart choice for her to leave PSV last summer.”

“And Floor Spaan really stands out. She has already scored seven goals for AZ this season, including the fastest Premier League goal ever.”

AZ scores the fastest goal ever in the women’s premier league