Feyenoord vs Salzburg Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase

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Brian Priske is underperforming as Feyenoord boss after being appointed this summer to replace Arne Slot and he now takes on under pressure Pep Lijnders, who has had a nightmare-ish start to life as Red Bull Salzburg boss. 

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Wednesday 6th October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – CBS Sports

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

FEYENOORD PREVIEW: FRUSTRATED FEYENOORD

As mentioned, Feyenoord lost manager Arne Slot to Liverpool and appointed former Sparta Prague boss Brian Priske, who won the league with Sparta last season. The Rotterdam-based club have suffered just one defeat in the Eredivisie but sit fourth in the table behind PSV Eindhoven, Ajax and Utrecht. 

In the UEFA Champions League they have been much better after shock back-to-back wins. They had started with a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Bayer Leverkusen at De Kuip but have since been clinical and efficient away from home with a 3-2 win over Girona in Catalonia before defeating Benfica by three goals to one in Lisbon. 

SALZBURG PREVIEW: DECLINING SALZBURG

After giving up the Austrian title for the first time in nearly a decade as Red Bull Salzburg finished as runners’ up to Sturm Graz in the Bundesliga last season, the Red Bull-owned club appointed Jurgen Klopp’s former Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders but he has endured a very difficult start to life as a number one.

Salzburg were held to a goalless draw by Grazer at the weekend and that means they sit fourth in the Austrian top-flight with five wins in their opening ten matches. They have suffered three defeats from three in the UEFA Champions League with nine goals conceded and none scored against fairly average opposition in Sparta Prague, Stade Brest and Dinamo Zagreb. 

FEYENOORD TEAM NEWS: KEY ATTACKERS OUT

Feyenoord are dealing with a couple of key attackers being out injured as Calvin Stengs is sidelined alongside key Mexico international striker Santiago Gimenez.

As well as Stengs and Gimenez, Japan forward Ayase Ueda is also unavailable with Switzerland defender Jordan Lotomba a key doubt for this one, too. 

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Biljow; Nieuwkoop, Trauner, Hancko, Bueno; Zerrouki, Hwang, Timber; Paixao, Carranza, Ivanusec

UNAVAILABLE: Stengs (Injued), Hartman (Injured), Ueda (Injured), Gimenez (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: Lotomba (Injured)

SALZBURG TEAM NEWS: SO MANY ISSUES

Both Mads Bidstrup and Stefan Bajcetic are doubts for this week due to illness and they have plenty of injury and suspension absentees for this clash at De Kuip.

Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager is missing through suspension, whilst the likes of Bryan Okoh, Fernando, Takumu Kawamura and Amar Dedic among those out injured. 

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Blaswich; Morgalla, Piatkowski, Baidoo, Terzic; Capaldo, Bajcetic, Bidstrup; Daghim, Konate, Gloukh

UNAVAILABLE: Schlager (Suspended), Dedic (Injured), Fernando (Injured), Kawamura (Injured), Yeo (Injured), Oko (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: Gourna-Douath (Injured), Kjaergaard (Injured), Bajcetic (Illness), Ratkov (Injured), Bidstrup (Illness)

KEY STATS

• This is the first UEFA competition match between these two teams.
• Feyenoord have won only three of their previous ten UEFA competition matches against Austrian teams (D2 L5).
• A victory for Feyenoord would see them win three successive matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper for the first time.
• Feyenoord have scored three goals in their last two UEFA Champions League matches. The only time they have scored three or more goals in three successive matches in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history (including qualifying) was in the 1971/72 season.
• Antoni Milambo could become the first player to score in three successive appearances for Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
• This is Salzburg’s 100th match in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history (including qualifying). They are the first Austrian club to reach the landmark.
• Salzburg have won four and drawn one of their last five UEFA competition matches against Dutch teams.
• Salzburg have lost only one of their last ten UEFA competition matches against Dutch teams (W5 D4).
• Salzburg are without a win in their last eight matches in the UEFA Champions League proper (D1 L7). This is their longest winless sequence in the competition.
• Salzburg have lost their last four matches in the UEFA Champions League proper. This is their longest sequence of successive defeats in the competition.
• Salzburg have scored a total of only one goal in their last six matches in the UEFA Champions League proper.

FEYENOORD VS SALZBURG PREDICTION

Feyenoord haven’t been overly convincing at all this season and even in that aforementioned 3-1 defeat of Benfica they were certainly the weaker of the two sides but managed to hit them well on the counter-attack. They face a Salzburg side, though, that are in disarray really and desperately struggling for goals or any sort of attacking cohesion. A Feyenoord victory is to be expected for this one in Rotterdam. 

FEYENOORD VS SALZBURG TIP: FEYENOORD TO WIN