Heerenveen beat leaders Feyenoord 5-3 after Ringo Meerveld's hat-trick, overturning a 2-0 lead

Feyenoord throw away a 2-0 lead

Feyenoord, the Eredivisie leaders, lost 5-3 at sc Heerenveen on Sunday, 8 November, their first league defeat of the season. Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side scored three times, through Anis Hadj Moussa, Nacho Ferri and Steijn, and conceded five. Hadj Moussa opened the scoring with a left-footed shot from the right into the far corner. Ferri made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 28th minute, after Vasilios Zagaritis had stopped a cross from Givairo Read with his arm during a slide. Referee Danny Makkelie first let play continue, then awarded the penalty on the advice of his assistant, and the VAR did not intervene. The rulebook treats a supporting arm as handball only when it unnaturally enlarges the body, which is why referees often let such moments go.

Heerenveen fight back

Heerenveen pulled a goal back just before half-time, when Maas Willemsen struck from a corner to make it 1-2. Levi Smans equalised to 2-2 early in the second half, his shot deflected by Tsuyoshi Watanabe past goalkeeper Tjark Ernst. Meerveld, who had come on as a substitute, restored the home side's lead to 3-2 after a pull-back from Jacob Trenskow. Steijn levelled at 3-3 from a Ferri header back, and Meerveld completed his hat-trick to make it 5-3. Coach Robin Veldman was shown a yellow card for his frustration at the penalty decision, while Zagaritis applauded the assistant referee in a sarcastic manner.

Goalkeeper Ernst under scrutiny

Before the match, Van Bronckhorst defended his goalkeeper, who has been heavily criticised again in recent weeks. Feyenoord had lost 3-0 to Internazionale in the Kuip on 3 November, and Ernst's role in the late Italian goal drew fan criticism. Van Bronckhorst said:

“He has to learn to deal with that.”

He added:

“I think we can name a lot of players when it comes to where things go wrong with goals conceded. Not just our keeper.”

Opta figures cited by NOS suggested Ernst had conceded more goals than his expected goals value implied, and that he performed below other Eredivisie keepers and his predecessors Justin Bijlow and Timon Wellenreuther. Goalkeeper coach Edwin Zoetebier, who won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 2002, put the problem down to a mix of confidence and development, citing Ernst's dives as a sign that his technique still needs work.

What it means for the table

Ajax, FC Twente and PSV could all overtake Feyenoord later that day with wins. Ajax, two points behind Feyenoord before kick-off, were playing FC Twente, while PSV, who were playing Cambuur, could draw level on points. Over the last five rounds Heerenveen had collected more points than any other Eredivisie club. Feyenoord now face the rest of the league with the top spot at stake.