A glance at the table is enough to see how important this match is. So far in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League, both VfB and Feyenoord have picked up three points from their first three games. The two sides will go head-to-head on Thursday at Stuttgart’s MHP Arena (kick-off 21:00 CET).
Feyenoord flying high domestically
“It’s not a final, but we can take a big step in the right direction and put ourselves in a good position for the remaining games in the league phase,” said Sebastian Hoeneß. “Feyenoord are currently number one in the Netherlands. They like to have possession and often play in the typical Dutch 4-3-3 system. They press high, win a lot of balls and can create danger in front of goal with real purpose.”
For the boys from Cannstatt, the objective will be to compete with that and bring their own strengths into play. “We want to make the most of our good form at home and, with our fans behind us, put in a really strong performance,” said the head coach, who revealed he had an in-depth discussion with Ramon Hendriks about the upcoming opposition. The Dutchman was once part of Feyenoord’s youth academy and made his professional debut for the Rotterdam club in the Dutch top flight, prior to joining VfB in summer 2024.
Zagadou and Assignon back in training
“We talked about Feyenoord but we know that a lot has changed there since he left,” said Hoeneß, who had high praise for the 24-year-old: “Ramon has developed really well. He can defend against anyone because, in addition to his pace, he has a strong mentality going into tackles. On top of that, he’s an absolute team player.”
However, Hendriks may not be able to feature against his former employers due to a muscular complaint, with a final decision to be made shortly before the game. Two of his colleagues are definitely available though, as Dan-Axel Zagadou (muscular) and Lorenz Assignon (shoulder) were able to take part in the team’s final training session.
