ReutersAntoni Milambo has put Feyenoord at 1-2
NOS Voetbal•yesterday, 8:39 PM•Adjusted yesterday, 11:36 PM
Feyenoord has won the Champions League for the first time since the 2002/2003 season. The Rotterdam team, who started the European season two weeks ago with a 4-0 home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen, won 3-2 against Girona in a messy match in Spain.
Girona, the Spanish number three of last season, made it 1-0 after just under twenty minutes. Despite a missed penalty from Ayase Ueda, Feyenoord managed to go into halftime with a lead thanks to a Catalan own goal and a goal from Antoni Milambo.
The home team also failed from eleven meters in the second half. Donny van de Beek – with his first goal in two and a half years – put his new club at 2-2 fifteen minutes before the end. A second own goal then helped Feyenoord gain three valuable points.
- NOSThe position in the CL after Wednesday October 2
- NOSThe position in the CL after Wednesday October 2
In the Estadi Montilivi, with its capacity of 14,624 spectators not very large but due to the Champions League rules on Wednesday evening it could accommodate less than 10,000 fans, Feyenoord already experienced some perilous moments in the initial phase.
For example, Thomas Beelen intercepted a Catalan pass, but then the center back, who was also responsible for NEC’s 1-0 (1-1) on Saturday, lost the ball to Viktor Tsygankov. Goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther saved Feyenoord from a dramatic start.
Moments later, the sliding Tsygankov arrived just too late with a low cross.
Girona in the lead
It turned out to be a stay of execution. Girona’s fourth corner kick was headed in by Ladislav Krejci in the nineteenth minute, after which the ball ended up at the feet of David López via Hugo Bueno, back in the starting line-up at the expense of Gijs Smal after three missed matches: 1-0.
AFPHugo Bueno cannot prevent David López’s 1-0
Not much later, Feyenoord had luck on its side. Igor Paixão was allowed to take a free kick from the right and looked for the head of Quinten Timber, but found the chest of Yangel Herrera, who ran the ball into his own goal: 1-1.
Help from an unexpected source
The Rotterdam team received help again from an unexpected source ten minutes later, although it was also Timber’s merit that a pass from López did not reach a fellow player. After the interception by the Feyenoord captain, Paixão launched Milambo in one move, who finished coolly: 1-2.
After Arnaut Danjuma came on as a substitute, he brought the number of Dutch Girona players to two – mainstay Daley Blind had to miss the game due to an injury and talent Gabriel Misehouy, who was acquired from Ajax, was not in the selection, but former Ajax player Van de Beek was in the starting line-up – followed an excellent chance at 1-3.
Misses Ueda
Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga caused Ivan Martin problems with a pass-in ball, after which the defender committed a foul on Timber. However, the closing post was given the opportunity by penalty taker Ueda to make up for his mistake. The miss did not improve the confidence of the Japanese striker, who should forget the injured Santiago Gimenez.
The second half was barely three minutes old when Ibrahim Osman put Ueda into position after a good individual action. He needed too much time to make a shot.
Pro Shots Feyenoord-spits Ayase Ueda baalt
Shortly afterwards there was also excitement on the other side. A low cross from Van de Beek was touched by Dávid Hancko, who unpleasantly surprised goalkeeper Wellenreuther. However, the Slovak was spared an own goal, because Van de Beek had been slightly offside.
Gliding dive
With Ramiz Zerrouki for the busy Osman, Feyenoord coach Brian Priske tried to bring more defensive security into the team. But that was without Wellenreuther, who released a high cross and then tapped Bojan Miovski.
The German goalkeeper immediately erased his mistake by diverting Miovski’s penalty with a floating dive and moments later also stopping his header.
Wellenreuther, however, had no chance fifteen minutes before the end when, after a rush by Danjuma, who passed three Feyenoorders with some fortune, Van de Beek was able to shoot in from close range: 2-2.
EPA Donny van de Beek
A doomsday scenario emerged for Feyenoord, which had lost its last eight away games in the Champions League, but once again received a stroke of luck.
The advanced Hancko tried to reach substitute Julian Carranza, but Krejci intervened, but knocked passing also his own goalkeeper: 2-3.
