Feyenoord vs. FC Utrecht - prediction, team news, lineups

By Seye Omidiora | 19 Sep 2026 02:28, Last updated: 19 Sep 2026 07:42

Returning to Eredivisie action just a week after a stunning 7-0 win against PEC Zwolle, Feyenoord host FC Utrecht at De Kuip on Sunday, aiming for their first home victory of the season.  

The Pride of the South could finish gameweek seven at the top of the table if they handle their business while results elsewhere favour them, ahead of a meeting with a defensively vulnerable side against whom they have won eight of their last 10 meetings.

There were questions about how Feyenoord would respond after suffering a heavy defeat in their Champions League opener against Barcelona, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side left no doubt about their ability to bounce back.  

Though it took nearly 20 minutes to score their first goal, the Stadium Club went on to dominate after Nacho Ferri netted the first of his three goals in an eventual 7-0 demolition of PEC Zwolle.  

This victory put De Stadionclub back on track following their first defeat of the season in Catalonia, which also marked their first reverse in 19 matches across all competitions, and they return to De Kuip on Sunday looking for their first league win of the campaign.  

Previous results in Rotterdam included a 2-2 draw against Go Ahead Eagles and ADO Den Haag, and they also concluded the 2025-26 season by drawing two of their last three fixtures, a trend they aim to change this weekend.  

Should Van Bronckhorst’s team secure their first home win at De Kuip since the return of their former title-winning manager, they would temporarily sit atop the table before AZ Alkmaar’s match against Telstar and PSV Eindhoven's trip to FC Twente.  

Despite the Pride of the South’s two draws at home this season and an overall record of four draws in five home games dating back to last season, there is undeniable reason for optimism given their historical dominance over Utrecht.  

Although the visiting Cathedral Citizens managed a surprising 2-1 victory over Feyenoord in January last year, that defeat ended De Stadionclub’s streak of five wins in this fixture and a seven-match unbeaten run.  

That Utrecht victory was their first in Rotterdam in 11 years, following a 2-1 success in August 2014, which highlights how exceptional it was at the time, and a second win in less than two years would indeed be shocking.  

Undoubtedly, Anthony Correia will be keen for a positive result at De Kup this weekend, especially following their first victory of the season away at SBV Excelsior last weekend.  

Dani De Wit scored a last-minute winner for a 2-1 success, marking the former Telstar manager’s first win since taking over from Ron Jans this summer, and he is now aiming for consecutive victories to truly kick off his tenure in charge of the 14th-placed visitors.  

That task will be challenging, given the historical disadvantage they face in this fixture and the prospect of battling against a Feyenoord side that just hit PEC for seven in the Eredivisie.

Feyenoord will be missing several players for Sunday’s match: Bart Nieuwkoop, Gijs Smal (ankle), Jakub Moder (knee), Thomas Beelen (broken leg) and Jordan Bos (knee) are all out.  

Although Ayase Ueda has departed, Ferri scored a hat-trick in the 7-0 rout of PEC last time out, with Anis Hadj Moussa also netting two goals in that commanding win.  

In midfield, Gjivai Zechiel poses a dual threat, having scored five league goals this season and assisted three in six appearances, enhancing the home side’s menace.  

Like Feyenoord, Utrecht have a few players unavailable, including Noah Ohio (knee), Alonzo Engwanda (hamstring), Kevin Paredes (knee), Miliano Jonathans (ACL) and Victor Jensen (knee).  

Artem Stepanov heads into this weekend having scored in five consecutive league games, and he hopes to extend that streak on Sunday lunchtime.  

Despite their clear reliance on Stepanov, De Wit has found the net in consecutive matches against Go Ahead Eagles and Excelsior, providing the away side with another source of goals ahead of matchday seven. 

Ernst; Read, Watanabe, St Juste, Marmol; Zechiel, Vanhoutte, Targhalline; Hadj Moussa, Nacho, Valente

Barkas; Vesterlund, Horemans, Didden, Panagiotou, Zagre; Alarcon, De Wit, Van den Berg, Cathline; Stepanov  

Not only do Feyenoord have the historical advantage in this fixture, but the Rotterdam side come into the match following an impressive 7-0 victory over PEC Zwolle.  

While Van Bronckhorst’s team have yet to secure a home win in the league this season, they should anticipate breaking that unfortunate streak against a team they have defeated in seven of their last eight encounters. 

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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