Four days removed from a derby defeat, Inter arrived at Stadion Feijenoord and left with a 3-0 victory that was rarely in doubt. Bisseck headed Inter in front inside eight minutes, Esposito doubled the lead before the break, and Zielinski put the result beyond doubt early in the second half. According to BBC Sport, Spence starred throughout, pulling the strings from right midfield in what coach Cristian Chivu later called ‘the best version of ourselves.’
Key Moments
- 3′, Calhanoglu picked up a yellow card for a foul, an early caution that would factor into Chivu’s decision to withdraw him at half-time.
- 8′, Bisseck headed Inter ahead, with Spence providing the assist to give the visitors an early platform.
- 34′, Esposito doubled Inter’s lead, finishing without a recorded assist to make it 2-0 heading into the break.
- 39′, Yellow cards for Akanji (Inter) and Zechiel (Feyenoord) followed a heated exchange, adding needle to a one-sided scoreline.
- 45′, Feyenoord made a half-time change, bringing on T. van den Elshout for Vanhoutte in an attempt to reshape things in the second half.
- 54′, Zielinski made it 3-0, converting from a Barella assist to end any residual hope from the hosts.
- 57′, Inter rotated early, withdrawing both Thuram and Calhanoglu, sending on Bonny and Mkhitaryan with the job done.
Tactical Breakdown
Inter did their damage without the ball. Feyenoord held 53 percent possession and completed more passes, but that territorial dominance translated into just 0.75 xG and two shots on target. Chivu’s 3-5-2 kept its shape off the ball, and whenever Inter won it back they moved quickly. Six shots on target from 11 total told a sharper story than the possession numbers.
The game turned on Inter’s ruthlessness in the first half. Bisseck’s header at the near post in the 8th minute, fed by Spence overlapping from right midfield, set the tone. By the time Esposito added the second on 34 minutes, Feyenoord had no tactical answer. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s triple substitution on 62 minutes, bringing on Steijn, Watanabe and Schaken, confirmed the home side had abandoned the original plan. Zielinski, who had already scored on 54 minutes before being rotated off at 78, made those changes irrelevant.
For Feyenoord, sitting at rank 30 in the league phase with just three points from four games, the defensive structure was the problem from the first whistle. Ernst was asked to make three saves, the same number Inter’s Josep Martinez faced, but the difference in quality of chances conceded was stark. Feyenoord generated chances from distance, with five shots outside the box and five off target. Inter hurt them centrally and from set-piece positions, areas where the Dutch side simply could not cope.
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Verdict
The win moves Inter to six points from four games, sitting 14th in the UEFA Champions League league phase and firmly in the playoff positions. Feyenoord remain at 30th with three points, in a difficult spot as the league phase nears its midpoint. For Inter, bouncing back from a derby setback with this kind of control is exactly the response Chivu would have wanted.
Feyenoord
Inter
D. Spence