Eredivisie leaders Feyenoord claimed their first Champions League win of the season on Wednesday, beating Como 3-2 after an entertaining match at De Kuip.
Anis Hadj Moussa took centre stage in the second half as the atmosphere at De Kuip reached fever pitch. After putting Feyenoord 2-1 ahead, the winger helped extend their lead when his late shot was turned into the net by goalkeeper Robert Sánchez. Van Bronckhorst then took the opportunity to give the Algerian international a well-deserved ovation as he left the pitch.
Feyenoord’s win was also a welcome result for Dutch football as a whole, which had struggled for success in Europe’s premier club competition. Feyenoord suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to FC Barcelona last month, while PSV have earned only one point from their first two Champions League games, drawing 1-1 with Shakhtar Donetsk before losing 1-0 to RB Leipzig.
Feyenoord named the same starting XI that secured a 2-0 victory over AZ at home on Saturday. Como coach Cesc Fàbregas, meanwhile, tailored his selection to counter the hosts.
He opted to play without a recognised striker, bringing in attacking midfielder Nicolás Paz in place of Anastasios Douvikas. Left-back Kaiki Bruno was deployed further forward on the left wing, where he was responsible for tracking Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read as he pushed up the pitch.
Feyenoord brought the same intensity and fighting spirit to their attack that they had shown in recent league games. Como, by contrast, looked to build attacks through quick, short passes near the opposition penalty area. The result was an entertaining contest, although clear-cut chances were few and far between for both teams.
Como went ahead in the 18th minute after Feyenoord left-back Javi López was easily beaten by Assane Diao. The Senegalese winger then calmly bypassed goalkeeper Tjark Ernst to put the Italian side 1-0 up. Feyenoord responded almost immediately, however, as Gjivai Zechiël skilfully escaped the attention of Máximo Perrone before slotting home an excellent equalizer in the 20th minute.
Feyenoord made a change at halftime, with captain Luciano Valente making way for Gaoussou Diarra. Anis Hadj Moussa, who had done little to stand out in the opening 45 minutes, transformed his performance after the interval to become the game’s decisive figure.
Hadj Moussa made his mark seven minutes after the restart, collecting a pass from Gaoussou Diarra before cutting inside and placing a shot into the bottom corner to put Feyenoord 2-1 ahead. The Algerian winger struck again in the 82nd minute, with his effort taking deflections off Jacobo Ramón and goalkeeper Sánchez on its way into the net. Anastasios Douvikas pulled one back deep into stoppage time, but Feyenoord held on for a 3-2 victory.
