Feyenoord secured a 2–1 victory against Royal Antwerp in a closed-door friendly at De Kuip, with goals from Sem Steijn and Nacho Ferri helping the Rotterdam club overcome an early deficit as Giovanni van Bronckhorst rotated his squad during the international break.
The Saturday fixture provided essential minutes for players not selected for international duty to remain fit. Antwerp opened the scoring when Thibo Somers stripped the ball from Charles Vanhoutte and put the Belgian side ahead. Feyenoord responded before halftime when Steijn intercepted a pass from the opposing goalkeeper and finished to equalize. Early in the second half, Jivayno Zinhagel delivered a cross that Ferri headed in off the post to seal the win against the team currently thirteenth in the Pro League.
International Commitments Force Changes to the Starting Lineup
Because international commitments kept multiple players away, the technical staff had to implement several changes. The team started with Mika Mármol and Thijs Kraaijeveld in central defense, while Javi López featured as the left-back. Steijn used the match to prove himself to his trainer after a season where his scoring tally has largely been restricted to European competition, following a prolific spell at FC Twente during the 2024/25 campaign. Ferri continued his strong run of form, adding to the first four official goals he netted for the club across the prior two league fixtures.
Preparation for AZ Clash and Unresolved Questions
The Rotterdam squad is now working toward the resumption of the Eredivisie home fixture against AZ, followed shortly by a Champions League fixture against Como. While training preparations resume normally from Monday, several returning internationals are not scheduled to rejoin the group until Wednesday or Thursday. It also remains unconfirmed how severe the injuries are for Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Anis Hadj Moussa ahead of the upcoming domestic schedule.
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