Highlighted: Who is the top club in Rotterdam?
While not an official title of honor, this year Rotterdam can certainly be recognized as the football capital of the Netherlands. This is not only because Feyenoord is the champion of the Eredivisie, but also because Sparta and Excelsior are making their presence felt. Excelsior provided a lot of excitement last weekend by winning 4-3 against N.E.C., and Sparta has been part of the top six of the Eredivisie since last season. The first Rotterdam derby of the season is scheduled for the upcoming weekend, featuring Sparta against Feyenoord.
Pre-match Sparta Rotterdam - Feyenoord (02-04-2023)
SPARTA MAKES HISTORIC START
After their impressive sixth-place finish last season and the departure of successful coach Maurice Steijn, it remains to be seen whether Sparta will shine again this season. The season started well with a victory over PEC Zwolle in matchday 1. It was the first time since 1987/88 that Sparta won their opening match of the Eredivisie season. A positive start for newly appointed coach Jeroen Rijsdijk, who became the first coach to win his debut match on the Sparta bench since Rob Baan in 1988. Only four coaches in history have won the first two Eredivisie matches with Sparta: Georg Keßler in 1970, Alexander Schwartz in 1971, Leo Steegman in 1972, and Joop Brand in 1980. Rijsdijk faces the challenging task of joining this list in the upcoming weekend. If achieved, it would also mark the first time since 1971/72 that Sparta wins the first two matches of an Eredivisie season.
Tobias Lauritsen after his goal against PEC Zwolle in Matchday 1 of the 2023/24 season (August 12, 2023).
VICTORY OVER FEYENOORD LONG AGO FOR SPARTANS
It won't be easy for Sparta, as Feyenoord has won the last six encounters between the two teams. In these matches, Feyenoord scored fifteen goals while Sparta managed to score only once. However, it was evident last week that Feyenoord won't simply dominate every opponent this season. Arne Slot's team played to a goalless draw against Fortuna Sittard, placing them as the lowest-ranked Rotterdam team after matchday 1. It had been a long time since Sparta was positioned above Feyenoord in the standings. The last instance was in November 2019, after eleven rounds of the 2019/20 season, and it led to Jaap Stam's departure from Feyenoord. Moreover, in this century, there was only one occasion when Sparta faced Feyenoord as the higher-placed team: in matchday 3 of the 2006/07 season. On that occasion, Feyenoord won 4-1 at Het Kasteel. Below is an overview of the last six Rotterdam Derbies.
| Date | Home Team | Result | Away | Team Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10-1-2021 |
Sparta |
0-2 |
Feyenoord |
Eredivisie |
|
19-5-2021 |
Feyenoord |
2-0 |
Sparta |
Europese play-offs |
|
31-10-2021 |
Sparta |
0-1 |
Feyenoord |
Eredivisie |
|
6-2-2022 |
Feyenoord |
4-0 |
Sparta |
Eredivisie |
|
11-9-2022 |
Feyenoord |
3-0 |
Sparta |
Eredivisie |
|
2-4-2023 |
Sparta |
1-3 |
Feyenoord |
Eredivisie |
Feyenoord still goalless in official matches
Dat het moeizaam gaat bij Feyenoord blijkt ook nog uit een andere veelzeggende statistiek. Naast dat de ploeg van Slot niet tot scoren kwam in speelronde 1, wist de ploeg ook het net niet te vinden in de Johan Cruijff Schaal en de laatste Eredivisiewedstrijd van vorig seizoen. Hierdoor loopt Feyenoord het risico om tegen de stadsgenoot tegen een negatieve primeur aan te lopen. Sinds de introductie van het betaalde voetbal in Nederland in 1954 bleef Feyenoord nog nooit doelpuntloos in vier officiële wedstrijden op rij.
Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez after the 0-0 draw against Fortuna Sittard.
Sparta's Moment?
Given the upward trajectory Sparta has taken over the past year and Feyenoord's challenging season start, this might be the perfect moment for Sparta to secure their first victory over their rival in the Eredivisie since 2017. The match would then hold a special place in the history books for both teams.
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