Sunday at 14.30: Feyenoord kicked off their first match off the season against NAC Breda.

It was to be a special day, not only because of the win, but also because of the come-back at the Kuip for Pierre van Hooijdonk (former Feyenoord player during UEFA Cup win 2001-2002), who plays at NAC this season.

Egyptian star Hossam Ghaly did feature in the starting line-up, playing with a 3-4-3 formation.

The match started off with complete control for Feyenoord, but it was NAC who scared the crowd, when Van Hooijdonk stepped up for a free-kick. As Feyenoord fans know his reputation from free-kicks, they were scared the home team would get behind after 15 minutes, but that wasn't to be. Being compared to Michel Platini in the past, he wasn't able to get in any of the three free-kicks he got during the match.

Ironically, it was Feyenoord who scored from a free-kick in the 24th minute, when Sebastian Pardo, curled the ball nicely into the net. There was a blast which went through the whole of De Kuip; the first Feyenoord goal of the season was a beauty.

Feyenoord kept controlling the first half with chances for Ali Boussaboun, Kuijt and Paauwe, and also Hossam Ghaly who made a great rush forward, but ended up just in front of the goal. Feyenoord was the better team all along in the first half, and this continued into the second half.

They kept creating couplets of chances, but none of them could confuse the NAC defence, until Dirk Kuijt shot his first of the season in the 70th minute; 2-0.

After the goal NAC tried to push and get a goal to shrink the two-goal margin. They almost succeeded, if it wasn't that Patrik Lodewijks showed his superb form again. It was Mark Zonneveld at first to get a chance against the goalie, second it was Kevin van Dessel, but both were unlucky that Feyenoord have such a good goalie.