Anis Hadj Moussa provided the decisive moment Feyenoord had been craving, curling home a late, sublime strike to ignite a long-awaited Eredivisie victory and lift Robin van Persie’s side back into second place.
His 85th-minute goal proved the turning point in an eventful 4-2 success over Heracles Almelo at De Kuip, a result that finally ended Feyenoord’s frustrating league drought in 2026.
The winger’s intervention arrived after a tense and uneven contest that threatened to undo the confidence Feyenoord had drawn from their midweek Europa League win over Sturm Graz. With Ajax having already beaten FC Volendam earlier on Saturday, the pressure was unmistakable.
Anything less than three points would have seen Feyenoord surrender ground in the title race, making Moussa’s moment of quality all the more significant.
The hosts began cautiously and struggled to impose themselves early, fashioning little beyond a Mats Deijl header that was comfortably dealt with. Ayase Ueda’s return from injury brought a sharper edge, but his apparent opener was ruled out following a VAR review.
The breakthrough eventually came through Leo Sauer, whose header put Feyenoord ahead, only for Jordan Bos to concede a penalty moments later, allowing Luka Kulenovic to level.
Bos responded impressively, rifling Feyenoord back in front before the break, yet Heracles remained stubborn. Kulenovic came close to drawing level again after the interval, missing a clear one-on-one and keeping the contest finely balanced as the game drifted into its closing stages.
That was when Moussa seized control. With five minutes remaining, he shifted onto his left foot and bent a superb effort into the top corner, a goal that drained belief from the visitors and restored authority to Feyenoord’s performance. Casper Tengstedt added a fourth almost immediately, delicately chipping the goalkeeper to settle the outcome.
Heracles claimed a late consolation through Tristan van Gilst, but it did little to alter the significance of the night.
Feyenoord had finally broken their Eredivisie winless run of four matches, reclaimed second place and regained momentum ahead of their final Europa League league-phase fixture away at Real Betis.
