Feyenoord Finishes Third After Loss to Heerenveen

SC Heerenveen defeats Feyenoord 2-0, clinching a spot in the Eredivisie play-offs for a UEFA Conference League spot, while Feyenoord finishes third.

Feyenoord ended their Eredivisie season with a 2-0 loss away to SC Heerenveen, a match that held no significance for Robin van Persie's team. Having already secured third place, Feyenoord earned a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. In the match, Van Persie gave Bulgarian defender Plamen Andreev his first minutes of the season, opting to rest Timon Wellenreuther due to fitness concerns.

Feyenoord's match against SC Heerenveen got off to a poor start. The Heerenveen team, still fighting for a UEFA Conference League play-off spot, took the lead just four minutes in through a header from Bulgarian centre-back Hristiyan Petrov. The game took a concerning turn when Petrov collided with goalkeeper Andries Noppert, forcing Noppert to leave the field after 16 minutes due to the impact of the collision.

Play-offs! ☑#HEEFEY | 2-0 pic.twitter.com/j0k2rAjNCe

— sc Heerenveen (@scHeerenveen) May 18, 2025

Milos Lukovic, a 19-year-old Serbian striker, scored Heerenveen's second goal from the penalty spot after being fouled by Gernot Trauner. Lukovic had earned his second consecutive start alongside 18-year-old talent Eser Gurbuz in Heerenveen's front three. 

Feyenoord struggled to make an impact in the first half, and their fortunes didn't change when Ayase Ueda had a goal-bound shot saved spectacularly by Mickey van der Hart. The home side went into the break with a 2-0 lead, leaving Feyenoord with a challenge to mount a comeback in the second half.

Feyenoord came out more determined in the second half, with former Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder nearly scoring. However, his header narrowly missed the post, a promising moment for Feyenoord that ultimately didn't change the scoreline.

Heerenveen sealed their spot in the Eredivisie play-offs with a win over Feyenoord, finishing the season in ninth place with 43 points. In the match's final moments, Lukovic had a chance to score again but couldn't beat Feyenoord's Andreev. Meanwhile, Feyenoord's captain David Hancko had a header that narrowly missed the target in injury time. Despite the late efforts, Feyenoord couldn't change the scoreline, ultimately ending their season in third place with 68 points.