NEC Nijmegen vs Feyenoord: Feyenoord without away fans after ban
NEC Nijmegen host Feyenoord at the Goffertstadion on Saturday afternoon in Eredivisie round five, but the visitors will step out in Nijmegen without any of their travelling supporters. The club banned its own fans for two away matches after serious fireworks incidents at Cambuur Leeuwarden, meaning the Goffertstadion will have a conspicuously empty away section.
Feyenoord’s away fan ban
Seven home supporters were injured when Feyenoord fans set off numerous flares and threw fireworks during the Eredivisie clash at Cambuur on 23 August. The match was halted for 20 minutes, and the fallout prompted Feyenoord to self-impose a ban on away ticket sales for the trips to NEC Nijmegen and PEC Zwolle. “The club management has decided to do this following the much-discussed and completely unacceptable fireworks incident in Leeuwarden,” the club said in a statement.
Nijmegen mayor Hubert Bruls had already warned that Feyenoord supporters would be barred from the Goffertstadion if those responsible were not arrested. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will therefore play on foreign soil with only the noise of the home crowd to contend with.
NEC team news and injury latest
Dick Schreuder’s side bounced back from their Champions League elimination at the hands of FK Bodø/Glimt with a convincing 4-1 win at Willem II last time out. Adam Tahaui, Tjaronn Chery, Bryan Linssen and Kaj Sierhuis all got on the scoresheet, and that attacking quartet will be relied upon again.
NEC were without a host of players for that match, and little has changed for the visit of Feyenoord. Philippe Sandler, Sami Ouaissa (hamstring), Yassin Moslih, Ahmetcan Kaplan (knee) and Perr Schuurs (knee) were all sidelined. Schuurs – the former Torino defender – is nearing a return after almost three years of injury misery, but the 26-year-old is unlikely to be thrown straight into the starting XI. Dusan Tadic and Linssen will carry the creative burden in the final third.