Feyenoord claimed their first Champions League victory of the season, defeating Como 3‑1. The match, played at De Kuip, represented a proud moment for coach Giovanni VanBronckhorst, who praised his team's performance in a difficult stage of the tournament.
Post-match, VanBronckhorst highlighted the importance of maintaining the right mentality against high-level opponents. “The 1-1 result against Como gave us the necessary motivation at this stage of the match,” he said. “We never lost our mentality against a team like that and the boys' reaction to the goal we conceded was very positive.” The coach also highlighted how the quality of the football shown is a source of pride for the entire club, especially considering the difficulty of competing in the Eredivisie.
A key point of the match was the contribution of Moussa, whose role was described as "important" by the manager. VanBronckhorst noted that the first part of the match was characterized by actions and shots on goal, but also stressed that Moussa must continue to play with the same intensity. “With his quality he can create scoring chances and he has done so twice,” he added. The player has scored a total of 31 goals in this start to the season, demonstrating a constant ability to generate chances for the team.
The coach also spoke about future challenges, highlighting that "if we win half of the games we can continue to play in the Champions League". He acknowledged that the competition will intensify as stronger teams arrive, but expressed confidence in Feyenoord's ability to deal with them, especially at home. “Nice to win the first one here though,” he added, underlining the importance of maintaining motivation.
VanBronckhorst closed the conference by mentioning injury management and the need to balance the playing load. “There are matches that cost a lot of energy, but we can take stock tomorrow,” he said. He also confirmed that player rotation will be a key element for the next match, to ensure players have time to recover.
In summary, the victory against Como consolidated Feyenoord's position in the Champions League, highlighting the quality of football shown and the importance of players like Moussa. The club now looks forward with confidence, preparing for even more demanding challenges in the later stages of the tournament.