Three tactical reasons for Feyenoord's problems

Feyenoord's recent slump traced to tactical vulnerabilities in their defensive setup for star attacker Hadj Moussa, with opponents finding ways to exploit the system.

Feyenoord began the season in impressive form but has now gone five matches without a win, prompting tactical analysis of their recent struggles. The club has deployed a strategy to minimize defensive duties for key attacker Anis Hadj Moussa, a system borrowed from Liverpool's approach with Mohamed Salah during their title-winning campaign.

While Hadj Moussa has enjoyed a highly productive season under this arrangement, the tactic carries a significant drawback.

The vulnerability centres on the role of Gjivai Zechiël. Feyenoord operates from a 4-4-2 formation when pressing, with Hadj Moussa moving to pressure the right centre-back while Zechiël shifts to cover the left-back position. This setup functioned effectively initially, but opposing teams have increasingly discovered ways to exploit these tactical gaps, contributing to Feyenoord's current form crisis.