Feyenoord lose by the barest of margins in Helden Cup

Feyenoord had the best chances in the first half and should have taken the lead just before the break, but did not have luck on their side against the German Bundesliga 2 outfit. Bryan Linssen and Nicolai Jørgensen both tried to place their shots but were denied by the keeper and the post respectively.

It was perhaps not so surprising that Feyenoord lacked sharpness in front of goal. Despite having four matches in seven days, Advocaat had just 18 players to choose from during the training camp. The squad also trained flat out every day, so fatigue was always going to be a factor.

That said, Advocaat saw his side fight until the last minute. Róbert Bozeník and Luciano Narsingh both had opportunities to level in the final stages, but neither could finish. It meant that Manuel Wintzheimer’s strike five minutes into the second half was enough to separate the sides at the final whistle. Wintzheimer beat Wouter Burger for speed, before scoring with a diagonal drive that had Justin Bijlow beaten.

In spite of the defeat, Feyenoord return home with a positive mindset after winning the Cup of Traditions, enjoying a successful training camp in Germany and taking part in a challenging tournament in Austria.

The squad will now continue their preseason preparations in Rotterdam ahead of the opening match at PEC Zwolle on Saturday 12 September.