Feyenoord dropped points for the second consecutive week in the Eredivisie after being held to an entertaining 3–3 draw by NAC Breda in Breda, a result that further strengthened PSV Eindhoven’s grip on the title race.
With PSV already securing a 2–1 victory over AZ Alkmaar on Saturday, attention turned to Feyenoord, who needed a win to prevent the league leaders from stretching their advantage further.
The Rotterdam side started brightly, with manager Robin van Persie handing Raheem Sterling a place in the starting lineup for the first time since the winger’s arrival in Rotterdam.
Feyenoord controlled possession in the early stages and created several opportunities, the clearest falling to Anis Hadj Moussa, whose effort from inside the box lacked precision.
The visitors eventually made their dominance count in the 20th minute when leading scorer Ayase Ueda opened the scoring with a diving header from Hadj Moussa’s corner, marking his first goal of 2026.
NAC Breda quickly responded. Just two minutes later, Kamal Sowah capitalised on a loose ball following a corner and fired a deflected strike into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther.
The end-to-end contest continued as Feyenoord regained the lead in the 31st minute. Luciano Valente produced a superb curling effort that found the top corner beyond Daniel Bielica.
However, NAC Breda refused to back down. Boyd Lucassen brought the hosts level again with a powerful header from a cross delivered by Boy Kemper.
The home side then stunned Feyenoord just before the break. Former Premier League players Lewis Holtby and André Ayew combined brilliantly, with Ayew heading home Holtby’s delivery in stoppage time to give NAC a 3–2 halftime lead.
Feyenoord responded strongly after the restart and nearly equalised through Sterling, whose effort was comfortably saved by Bielica.
Their persistence eventually paid off in the 53rd minute when Ueda struck again, heading home his second of the afternoon to level the contest and bring his tally to 20 league goals this season.
The visitors pushed for a winner during the next phase of the match but could not break down NAC’s defence. Instead, the hosts almost snatched victory late on when Charles-Andreas Brym fired narrowly wide.
Drama followed in stoppage time as NAC defender Leo Greiml was shown a red card for a studs-up challenge on Casper Tengstedt. Despite being reduced to 10 men deep into added time, the home side held on to secure a valuable point.
The draw leaves Feyenoord frustrated as they drop points in back-to-back league matches, allowing PSV to extend their lead at the top of the Eredivisie table to a commanding 19 points.
