Feyenoord – Inter: Preview
We outline the scenarios for the Feyenoord vs Inter match in the fourth round of the Champions League common phase.
"Inter", after losing the Milan derby with a bang, will try to recover in the away match at "Feyenoord".
Key points
1. "Feyenoord" has gone three matches without a win
October proved to be a mixed period for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side. On one hand, victories over AZ (3:0), Como (3:2) and Telstar. On the other, draws with PSV and Fortuna (both 1:1) and a defeat to Betis (0:1). With Como in the Champions League everything was close, and at home against Betis it was very difficult, just as in the match with PSV, when Feyenoord was closer to a loss and the draw was a real stroke of luck.
"Feyenoord" leads the Eredivisie, but with a historically low point total (25) due to competitors’ problems. In the Champions League the team has only three points after three rounds, and the upcoming fixtures, which will largely determine the group’s fate in 2026, are against Inter, Porto and Viking.
2. Seven players will miss the Inter match, but van Bronckhorst is not a fan of rotation
Bart Niukop and Thomas Belen are out of form for the long term. Gais Smal and Shaquille van Persi have not played since September, but would be useful for rotation — in fact, they have barely started training. Among the latest absences, centre‑back Jerry Sen‑Juist was substituted at halftime in the PSV match. Mica Marmol is practically the only replacement option in central defence. It is worth noting that Giovanni van Bronckhorst is not a fan of rotation. With Fortuna he left the starting lineup and during the match made only one substitution.
3. "Feyenoord" is below Inter’s level, but should not be underestimated
Feyenoord and Inter faced each other in the 2024/25 Champions League round of 16. At that time, Feyenoord’s coach was Robin van Persie, and the matches showed that, despite the efforts, Feyenoord still falls below the Serie A side’s standard. At home they lost 0:2, away 1:2. It is not worth recording an Inter win in advance, given the rival’s problems. Moreover, Feyenoord in the match against Como showed that they like and know how to score. Otherwise, they cannot compete with the Dutch league experience.
1. "Inter" failed the Milan derby
The match that could have once again shown Inter’s strength actually revealed its main weaknesses. There are several ways to lose, but the defeat to Milan (1:3) is entirely Christian Kivu’s fault: from the choice of the starting lineup with a 3‑4‑2‑1 formation, to the failure in the first minutes and the substitutions (or rather, the choice of the moment for them). The 19‑7 shots statistic and 1.78 vs 0.66 expected goals in Inter’s favour should not mislead. The Rotterdam match should be a reaction to what happened, especially because in Serie A they still await another important rival: Como.
2. Pavar returned, Turam can stay on the bench
Benjamin Pavar joined training and can be an option at least to replace Yannick Bissecke as right‑back. The return of John Stones, Curtis Jones, Luis Enrique and Lautaro Martínez is still premature. In the bench with Milan were Pedro Zelinski, Federico Dimarco and Francesco Espósito. This indicates that these players will come on in the first minutes at "De Kuip". Like Anž‑Johan Bonni, if Markus Turam receives a well‑deserved break after a series of good matches.
3. "Inter" only starts playing after letting balls slip through
Inter this season is known both for its effectiveness and for the defensive lapses that make victories costly. From the start, the "black and blue" played 13 matches in all competitions. In four of them the team kept its goal intact. In the remaining nine they let 19 balls through, and in eight (!) of them Inter let the first pass — and only then got involved in the game. It is worth noting the first 30 minutes of play, in which they let nine goals slip through. It is a fantastic failure to enter from the beginning, which often hurts results — just remember the matches against Real and Brugge in the CL.
Possible lineups
4-3-3
3-5-2
1-8-2
Ernst16 López Caballero35 Marmol4 Watana 26 Rid28 Tartaglin34 Van Huut8 Zeichel10 Valente19 Ferri23 Hajj‑Mussa1 Martínez28 Pavar95 Bastoni30 Augusto17 DiuF22 Mkhitaryan20 Chalhanoglu7 Zelinski32 Dimarco94 Espósito14 Bonni
Betting on the trend
Four of six home matches for Feyenoord and three of five away matches for Inter ended with four or more goals. TB 3.5 to 2.02.
In three of five matches between Feyenoord and Inter, two or more goals were scored in the second half. Second half: TB 1.5 to 1.65.
Forecast
Feyenoord vs Inter 04.11.2026 00:00
"Feyenoord" has not won in three consecutive matches. October was quite difficult for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team in terms of results and quality of play. On the other hand, Feyenoord had a good match against Como in the Champions League, and Como now, while a bit struggling, is almost at Inter’s level. That is what will likely be taken into account in Rotterdam.
"Inter" is suffering from the loss in the Milan derby. Christian Kivu’s coach had neither play nor desire. This result should make the coach and players reflect, and they should also react in the visit to Feyenoord. One of Inter’s big problems is that the team does not get into the game immediately, letting one or two balls slip through that then have to be heroically recovered. If that is avoided at "De Kuip", in the end the class of the "black and blue" will be reflected.
Forecast: 1-2
