Zechiël blames lack of sharpness for Feyenoord's poor first half at PSV

Zechiël acknowledged Feyenoord's first-half struggles despite securing a draw at PSV, saying the team lacked sharpness and could have conceded more.

Feyenoord drew 1-1 at PSV, a result Gjivai Zechiël described as fortunate given his side's poor first-half performance. The Oranje international felt the reigning Dutch champions could have scored two or three goals had they been more clinical, but credited Feyenoord's defensive resilience and luck in staying level at the break.

Zechiël identified lack of sharpness, intensity and pressing as key issues in the opening 45 minutes. He noted that while losing possession wasn't inherently problematic, failing to press effectively when doing so was costly. Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst addressed the team at half-time with clear instructions, though Zechiël felt the players simply failed to execute the plan initially.

The second half showed marked improvement, with Feyenoord performing much better individually and collectively. Zechiël remained upbeat about the team's confidence despite a recent loss to Real Betis, viewing the point gained in Eindhoven as a positive to build on. Feyenoord face Fortuna Sittard at home next Saturday.