Feyenoord 3 - 1 Union Berlin: Feyenoord flatten first-time opposition

Feyenoord has failed to go beyond the group stage in their last four attempts in European competition but an enthralling 3-1 win over in-form Union Berlin looked to end the hoodoo which has haunted them for six years.

The Rotterdam club’s only two previous goals in the UEFA Europa Conference League had come in the first 30 minutes of the game so it was no surprise that their first attack yielded their first goal. In the 11th minute, a raking pass from deep found its intended target, Luis Sinisterra, on the left. 

He waltzed past the Union Berlin fullback before playing a ball across goal which eventually found its way through, via Guus Til, to former Brighton marksman, Alireza Jahanbakhsh who applied the finish.

After an inauspicious start befitting of a side who have gone two games without a win, the opening goal transformed Arne Slot’s side and they were gifted a second on 29 minutes. Robin Knoche failed to deal with the simplest of long balls over the top and Bryan Linssen snuck in to finish smartly past Andreas Luthe.

With Taiwo Awoniyi leading the Union line, Urs Fischer’s men are such a threat when they put crosses into the box and low and behold they replied in that very same way. Feyenoord failed to clear a corner and when the ball was played back in from the right, Union Berlin’s record signing Awoniyi rose highest to power in a header to make it 2-1 at the break.

Sinisterra wrapped up the points and sealed his standing as the ‘Man of the Match’ when Linssen’s snapshot was well kept out by Luthe and it was a case of the right man, the right time when the Colombian tapped home for six-yards to solidify Feyenoord’s position at the top of Group E.