With PSV beating AZ 2-1 on Saturday, the Eindhoven side hoped for more dropped points from Feyenoord, who could've seen PSV take a 20-point lead with a loss against NAC Breda. Robin van Persie took to battle with Raheem Sterling in the starting XI for the first time since the Englishman's arrival in Rotterdam.
Feyenoord dominated the opening 15 minutes in possession and created a handful of chances, of which the biggest was for Anis Hadj Moussa, whose effort from inside the box missed accuracy.
The Rotterdam outfit eventually took the lead after 20 minutes through the plagued top scorer Ayase Ueda, who opened his 2026 with a diving header from Hadj Moussa's corner.
However, NAC responded swiftly and levelled the score just two minutes later via Kamal Sowah, who had some luck after having a ball fall to him after a corner and worked it into Timon Wellenreuther's bottom corner with a deflected effort.
In what was shaping up to be a terrific first half of football, Luciano Valente pounced for Feyenoord with a gliding shot that landed in Daniel Bielica's top corner and restored Feyenoord's lead in the 31st minute.
The goals wouldn't stop coming at the Rat Verlegh Stadion as Boyd Lucassen helped NAC back alongside Feyenoord with a fantastic header from Boy Kemper's swooping cross.
A remarkable third headed goal of the first half saw NAC Breda take their first lead of the afternoon - former Premier League stars Lewis Holtby and André Ayew combined deep into added time, with the latter heading in a terrific ball from Holtby for the 3-2.
After a much-needed break, Feyenoord came out storming and quickly created a chance via Raheem Sterling, who fired a ball straight at Bielica.
The high-scoring affair in Breda took another turn with Ayase Ueda scoring his second of the day, again heading a ball past Bielica to shift the momentum and score his 20th of the season in the 53rd minute.
Feyenoord continued to pile pressure onto NAC in the next 15 minutes, but didn't scare the hosts into staying hidden. Instead, NAC Breda controlled the final 20 minutes as Feyenoord failed to get anything going up front and saw NAC get ever so close to a fourth goal via Charles-Andreas Brym, whose low effort rolled wide of Wellenreuther's goal.
NAC were dealt a tough hand with Leo Greiml getting sent off in the sixth of nine - later 12 - minutes of added time for a rough, studs-forward tackle on Casper Tengstedt. It ended without consequences for the Austrian defender, who saw his team fight for a hard-earned point, which keeps them in the battle for survival.
Feyenoord dropped points for the second Eredivisie round running and handed PSV a handsome 19-point lead at the Eredivisie summit.
