Unique stunt in the final phase of Feyenoord, but also an important point for the next round

NOS Football•today, 12:13

Never before has a club in the Champions League managed to come back from a deficit of at least three goals after 70 minutes. Leave it alone after 75 minutes. Only then did Feyenoord player Anis Hadj Moussa score the 3-1 from a difficult angle.

Radio commentators go crazy at Feyenoord’s historic comeback: ‘What’s happening here?!’

Thanks to the point won in Manchester, Feyenoord is in 20th place in the competition phase of the Champions League (36 clubs) after 5 games with 7 points. And that with three difficult away games against Manchester City, Girona and Benfica already behind us.

This means qualification for the next round is in sight. The first 8 clubs qualify directly for the eighth finals of the European tournament. Numbers 9 to 24 play play-offs.

Platform Football Meets Data simulated the new competition phase of the Champions League no fewer than 10,000 times and it shows that teams probably need 14 to 16 points to qualify directly for the round of 16.

9 or 10 points are needed to reach the play-offs, according to Football Meets Data. In 21 percent of the simulated scenarios, 8 points would even be sufficient to continue.

In that sense, Feyenoord is in principle one win (or possibly a draw) away from the next round in the Champions League. The home match against Sparta Prague awaits in two weeks. Matches with Bayern Munich and Lille will follow at the end of January.

It is quite possible that coach Brian Priske’s team will only strike late in the match in those matches. This Champions League season, Feyenoord excels in scoring goals after the 70th minute. 6 of the 10 Rotterdam goals came in the final phase.

No club in the European tournament can match that. Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco scored 5 times in this period.

To indicate how special Feyenoord’s sensational comeback is: in the entire history of the Premier League, the club has only managed not to lose three times after being behind by three goals. The last time was away to PSV, in 1998. But then they scored the first goal in the 51st minute.

Hadj Moussa’s 3-1 against City last night initially seemed like just a goal of honour. When defender Dávid Hancko headed in the 3-3 before the 90th minute, City coach Pep Guardiola looked on in disbelief. Out of frustration, the Spaniard attacked himself.

Afterwards he spoke to the press with a head full of scratches. “I wanted to hurt myself,” he said with a quip.