Feyenoord vs Sturm Graz Prediction - UEFA Europa League: A decisive battle at the De Kuip cauldron.
Feyenoord face Sturm Graz in a crucial Europa League match as both teams struggle at the bottom of the table with poor form and personnel crises.
At 00:45 on January 23, 2026, the De Kuip stadium will witness a dramatic clash between Feyenoord and Sturm Graz in the UEFA Europa League. This is a match where neither club can afford to lose if they want to keep their hopes of progressing alive, as they are both close together at the bottom of the table.
Context and ranking position
Currently, both Feyenoord and Sturm Graz are experiencing a difficult European campaign. Sturm Graz is in 29th place with 4 points after 6 matches. Meanwhile, the Dutch representative, Feyenoord, is even further behind in 30th place with only 3 points.
| Team | Location | Score | Recent form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturm Graz | 29 | 4 | Win 1, Draw 1, Loss 3 |
| Feyenoord | 30 | 3 | Win 1, Loss 4 |
In-depth performance analysis and statistics
Feyenoord: Home advantage and defensive concerns.
Feyenoord enter this match in extremely alarming form, having lost 5 of their last 6 matches in continental competitions. Despite having the home advantage at De Kuip, where they have secured their only victory this season, their defense is proving to be a major weakness. With an average of 2.2 goals conceded per game (a total of 13 goals in 6 matches), Feyenoord's manager faces a daunting challenge in strengthening their defensive system.
Sturm Graz: Attack is struggling.
In contrast to the home team, Sturm Graz's biggest problem lies in their finishing ability. The Austrian team has only scored a meager 4 goals in 6 matches, a modest efficiency of 0.7 goals per game. Their away form is also not very promising, having yet to taste victory (losing all 3 away games this season). However, Sturm Graz's defense is somewhat more stable than their opponent's, conceding an average of only 1.3 goals per game.
History of confrontations
The two teams have met twice before in the Europa League in 2022, with the results evenly split. Notably, in their most recent encounter at De Kuip, Feyenoord thrashed Sturm Graz 6-0. However, Sturm Graz successfully avenged that defeat in the return leg with a narrow 1-0 victory at home.
Severe manpower crisis
Both teams entered this match with lengthy injury lists, especially the home team:
- Feyenoord:The team is facing a severe personnel crisis with the absence of several key players. T. Beelen (broken leg), G. Diarra (ankle injury), M. Jeng (leg injury), J. Moder (back injury), and G. Trauner (Achilles tendon injury) are all certain to be absent. In addition, the availability of T. Kraaijeveld and S. Zand remains uncertain.
- Sturm Graz:The visiting team will also be without L. Grgic and D. Lavalee due to knee injuries, along with several other ineligible players such as A. Borkovic and J. Gazibegovic.
Tactical analysis and predictions
Despite their squad crisis, Feyenoord are still considered the favorites thanks to their home advantage and more diverse attacking style. Predictions suggest a 45% chance of Feyenoord winning and a 45% chance of a draw. With Sturm Graz's attack not particularly sharp, Feyenoord are likely to take the initiative and press from the start to seek an early goal.
Overall, this will be a close match as both teams are more afraid of losing than eager to win. The predicted number of goals is not very high, with the home team scoring under 2.5 goals and the away team under 1.5 goals. A safe bet for this match would be a win or a draw for the home team at De Kuip.
Team lineup updated at 00:08 on January 23, 2026
Official lineup
Feyenoord
Diagram: 4-3-3
CoachRobin van Persie
Starting lineup:
- 22. Timon Wellenreuther (G)
- 30. Jordan Lotomba (D)
- 21. Anel Ahmedhodžić (D)
- 4. Tsuyoshi Watanabe (D)
- 15. Jordan Bos (D)
- 40. Luciano Valente (M)
- 14. Sem Steijn (M)
- 6. In-Beom Hwang (M)
- 23. Anis Hadj Moussa (F)
- 9. Ayase Ueda (F)
- 11. Gonçalo Borges (F)
Substitutes:
- 39. Liam Bossin
- 37. Mannou Berger
- 43. Jan Plug
- 72. Hakeem Agboluaje
- 28. Oussama Targhalline
- 16. Leo Sauer
- 32. Aymen Slimi
- 44. Tobias van den Elshout
- 49. Shaqueel van Persie
- 17. Casper Tengstedt
- 10. Cyle Larin
Sturm Graz
Diagram: 4-4-2
Coach
Starting lineup:
- 53. Daniil Khudyakov (G)
- 23. Arjan Malić (D)
- 47. Emanuel Aiwu (D)
- 5. Tim Oermann (D)
- 17. Emir Karić (D)
- 19. Tomi Horvat (M)
- 4. Jon Gorenc Stanković (M)
- 39. Luca Weinhandl (M)
- 10. Otar Kiteishvili (M)
- 20. Seedy Jatta (F)
- 77. Maurice Malone (F)
Substitutes:
- 41. Elias Lorenz
- 40. Matteo Bignetti
- 2. Jeyland Mitchell
- 27. Gabriel Haider
- 35. Niklas Geyrhofer
- 25. Stefan Hierländer
- 14. Kristjan Bendra
- 43. Jacob Hödl
- 22. Julius Beck
- 8. Filip Rózga
- 11. Axel Kayombo
- 26. Belmin Beganović
