Feyenoord steamroller NAC Breda to reach final

Ahead of kick-off, Dick Advocaat had warned his side of the risks of underestimating NAC Breda. The second-tier outfit had already knocked PSV and AZ out of the competition this season.

Nervous start
In spite of the tip off from their coach, Feyenoord seemed to be taken unawares by their giant-killing opponents early on. The hosts looked nervous in the opening 15 minutes, as NAC Breda started brightly. That all changed when Marcos Senesi headed home a Steven Berghuis free kick to edge them ahead.

Within ten minutes Feyenoord had an unassailable three-goal lead. First Berghuis netted a spot kick, then Róbert Bozeník pounced to punish the indecision of the NAC Breda keeper to slide in the third. Left winger Ridgeciano Haps also grabbed a goal with a fine chip that went in off the underside of the bar.

Brilliance from Berghuis
The fifth goal arrived a minute before the break and it was a Berghuis beauty. He nutmegged his opponent, before lobbing the keeper with his right. Berghuis then grabbed his third on the other side of half time, another penalty on 52 minutes.

Jan Paul van Hecke pulled one back for the visitors, but Berghuis extended the lead again not long after. And when Berghuis exited the scene, his replacement Luciano Narsingh continued where his team-mate left off. Brought to ground in the box, he stepped up to convert the resulting penalty on 88 minutes to make it 7-1.

Final at De Kuip
The win confirms Feyenoord’s place in the KNVB Cup final, which will be held at De Kuip on Sunday 19 April. Ticket information will be released in due course through the official channels.

Next up for Dick Advocaat’s side is the visit of Willem II to De Kuip this Sunday in the Eredivisie. Third-place Feyenoord are currently three points ahead of the fifth-placed Tilburg outfit in the table, but also have a game in hand.