Eredivisie Team of the Week: Heerenveen dominate, goalkeeper takes top spot

FC Twente's Mats Rots was a force against Feyenoord
FC Twente's Mats Rots was a force against FeyenoordFlashscore/Marcel ter Bals, MTB Photo / Alamy / Profimedia

The final round of Eredivisie football of 2025 is in the books as the Dutch league heads into the winter break. With Christmas coming, it's time to shine our light on the biggest stars from the Dutch fields.

Here are the eleven top performers from round 16 of the Eredivisie, according to Flashscore's in-house player rating system.

Catch up on all Eredivisie results and statistics on Flashscore

This week's top Eredivisie XI
This week's top Eredivisie XIFlashscore

GK: Timon Wellenreuther (Feyenoord) - 9.1 (Player of the Week)

It doesn't happen often that a goalkeeper wins the highest rating of the weekend, but when Robin van Persie singles you out as the reason that his team win a point, it has got to be deserved.

Feyenoord faced a record amount of shots in the first half of Sunday's meeting with FC Twente, who recorded 14 attempts in the first half in Rotterdam - a record for Feyenoord in an Eredivisie home game since at least 2010. All in all, Twente put up 29 shots with an accumulated xG value of 2.64.

Timon Wellenreuther makes another save against FC Twente
Timon Wellenreuther makes another save against FC TwenteČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Box to Box Pictures/Yannick Verhoeven

Wellenreuther saved the day for Feyenoord with his 10 saves, which kept Feyenoord from losing their ninth game from their last 12.

DEF: Anton Gaaei (Ajax) - 8.3

Anton Gaaei is reportedly set to leave Ajax soon, but against NEC, the Danish full-back showed his worth in attack. Gaaei created five chances and attempted more passes in the final third than any other player (22). He topped it off with an assist for Kasper Dolberg's 1-1.

DEF: Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord) - 8.1

Feyenoord's defence was leaky against Twente, but that wasn't Watanabe's fault. The Japanese defender was involved in 15 duels, winning nine. For comparison: Watanabe's partner at the back, Anel Ahmedhodzic, was involved in three duels and won none.

Watanabe also won both of his attempted tackles, cleared the ball nine times, and recorded team-highs in touches (86) and completed passes (57).

DEF: Sergino Dest (PSV) - 8.1

PSV left it late against FC Utrecht, but had Sergino Dest to thank for sparking the comeback. The American right-back created Ricardo Pepi's equaliser with a perfectly weighted assist and was a rock at the back for the reigning champions, winning eight of 14 duels. 

DEF: Vasilios Zagaritis (Heerenveen) - 8.5

It was a good weekend to be a Heerenveen fan, and a good weekend to be Vasilios Zagaritis. The Greek left-back scored his second goal in two weeks in Heerenveen's 3-0 win over Heracles Almelo and was a terrific force for the Frisians, winning five of his seven duels and recording three interceptions.

MID: Jacob Trenskow (Heerenveen) - 8.1

Another Heerenveen star who had a good day was Jacob Trenskow. The Dane scored three goals, of which only one counted in the end, and was a massive threat for the visitors. Trenskow also created two chances and recorded two interceptions to add to a good day.

MID: Mohammed Ihattaren (Fortuna Sittard) - 8.9

Fortuna Sittard played out an absolute thriller against AZ, beating the Alkmaar outfit 4-3 after a bizarre final ten minutes. Mohammed Ihattaren, former wonderkid of PSV, Juventus and Ajax, was the architect behind the victory with some impressive numbers.

The Dutch-Moroccan midfielder pulled the strings by creating six chances and completing five dribbles, but also winning eight of 13 duels and, to top it off, providing two assists. 

MID: Maxence Rivera (Heerenveen) - 9.0

We know NEC's Kento Shiogai is one of the best impact subs in the league, but on Saturday, Heerenveen's Maxence Rivera added his name to that list. The tricky Frenchman got 29 minutes of playing time against Heracles and made the most of it, assisting Zalgaritis' 2-0 and scoring the 3-0 himself in added time.

Maxence Rivera delivered a fantastic performance in just 29 minutes against Heracles Almelo
Maxence Rivera delivered a fantastic performance in just 29 minutes against Heracles AlmeloČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Dennis Bresser

Rivera was a constant presence with three shots, all of which were on target, and six touches in the opposition's box, which tied Dylan Vente for the game-high.

FW: Daan Rots (FC Twente) - 8.7

After forming a formidable force in Twente's cup victory over Spakenburg, Daan Rots maintained his fine form in Rotterdam. The winger accounted for Twente's only goal of the afternoon and created seven chances, completed three dribbles, and completed 23 of his 27 passes in the final third.

Besides, Rots was involved in a game-high 19 duels, of which he won nine. An all-round great afternoon for Rots, who was visibly upset after dropping two points in Rotterdam.

FW: Tobias Lauritsen (Sparta) - 8.5

Norwegian striker Tobias Lauritsen has been an Eredivisie star ever since he joined Sparta, and against Volendam, he was pivotal once more. The tall forward stayed cool as he converted an 85th-minute penalty that won Sparta the game, having been a handful for the opposition's defender all afternoon by winning four fouls and winning 15 of his 19 duels.

FW: Sondre Orjaesaeter (FC Twente) - 7.9

Rots' partner in crime, Sondre Orjasaeter, is finally finding his stride in the Eredivisie. The Norwegian winger was brought in with high promise, and against Feyenoord, he started to show why. Orjasaeter created three chances, completed eight passes in the final third, and won four of his five duels.

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