Key Takeaways:
- On Thursday night, the referee issued an apology to Robin van Persie during half-time for disallowing Feyenoord’s apparent opener against Aston Villa.
- Aston Villa clinched a 2-0 victory with second-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and John McGinn, joining Feyenoord at the top of the Europa League group.
- Unai Emery’s side preserved their perfect European record this season despite struggling domestically, holding just one win from their opening six league matches.
Contentious First-Half Decision Takes Centre Stage
Feyenoord’s dominant start in Rotterdam appeared to have paid off after half an hour when Ayase Ueda’s header seemed to cross the line, with Marco Bizot only just preventing it from going in. However, scenes of confusion erupted as referee Rade Obrenovic disallowed the goal for what he deemed a foul by Tsuyoshi Watanabe on Aston Villa’s Matty Cash during the corner. Replays suggested minimal contact, prompting frustration from the home side.
Not like I care but feyenoord got robbed by the VAR team against Aston Villa.
UEFA😑😑😑😑 pic.twitter.com/05Fy50ZDxb— nairamarley (@officialnairam1) October 2, 2025
Robin van Persie, Feyenoord manager and former Netherlands striker, confirmed after the match that Obrenovic apologised to him at half-time. Van Persie shared: “That was a clear goal for us. The ref said sorry to me during half-time. I asked him, ‘can you explain what just happened because nothing happened’. Then he said sorry. He thought someone was blocked but he said sorry a couple of times. That’s a shame – it had a big influence on the game.”
Officiating Debates Continue as Villa Capitalise
The officiating remained under scrutiny as TNT’s studio panel highlighted another controversial call. Despite appearing to be the last man, Anel Ahmedhodzic received only a yellow card following a foul on Ollie Watkins twelve minutes into the match, with no upgrade after a review at the monitor. Villa used that reprieve to shift momentum in the second half.
Second-Half Surge Seals Victory for Villa
Unai Emery’s men emerged stronger after the interval. Emiliano Buendia broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, expertly guiding his shot into the far corner from the edge of the area. The result was secured 17 minutes later, as John McGinn reacted quickest to a loose ball following an incisive run from Donyell Malen, driving his finish into the bottom right corner.
