Feyenoord all but wrapped up third spot in the Eredivisie after hammering nearest rivals AZ Alkmaar 4-1 in the AFAS Stadion.

feyaz41The gap between third and fourth place was only four points going into the game, and AZ Alkmaar knew a third straight home win would put them in a good position to overhaul Feyenoord and earn the automatic Europa League spot. However three goals in the first half set Feyenoord on their way to a comfortable victory.

Feyenoord were ahead in the opening two minutes when AZ defender Derrick Luckassen failed to deal with a cross, which he ended up slicing into his own net. Elvis Manu then missed two good chances to double the lead, while at the other end Sven van Beek was lucky not to give away a penalty for a foul on Thom Haye.

On 39 minutes Feyenoord found their second goal, and it was Anass Achahbar who fired a powerful shot into the net from close range, for the striker’s fourth goal in three games. In the last minute of the first half Elvis Manu headed in a third from a Colin Kazim-Richards flick on.

Feyenoord sealed the victory just before the hour mark when Lex Immer’s shot from distance was parried into Manu’s path, and the winger made no mistake with the goal gaping.

Kenneth Vermeer was excellent for Netherlands midweek in a 2-0 victory over Spain, but the goalkeeper misjudged a back pass from Sven van Beek, letting it slip under his foot and into the net to give AZ a consolation.

Feyenoord are now seven points clear in third place, and after Ajax’s slip up at Utrecht they are only six points off 2nd with five games to go. AZ remain two points ahead of Vitesse in fourth.




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