Round 5 of the 2025 Eredivisie season gave soccer fans everything they could dream of—crazy goals, surprising upsets, and stars stepping up for their teams. We had an eight-goal thriller in Nijmegen, a scrappy battle in Rotterdam, Utrecht getting shocked at home, and Ajax bouncing back with a strong win. But out of all the drama, which players really stood out and earned their spot in the Eredivisie Team of the Week?
Let’s take a look at the best XI, told in a way that even middle school fans can enjoy. Along the way, we’ll mix in some cool soccer facts, news, and combos that connect the games with the bigger soccer world.
Goalkeeper: Vasilis Barkas (FC Utrecht) – Rating: 8.1
Imagine playing only one half of a game but still being one of the best players of the week—that’s exactly what Vasilis Barkas did. The Greek goalie played just 45 minutes against FC Groningen before a calf injury forced him off. But in that short time, he made four big saves, three of them against Groningen striker Jorg Schreuders.
Barkas even posted a prevented xG of 0.69, which basically means he stopped nearly one full goal that should have gone in. Pretty clutch, right?
Soccer Fact Combo: Did you know that goalkeepers are often judged not just by saves but also by “prevented xG”? It’s a modern soccer stat that measures how many goals a keeper saves compared to what is expected. Barkas is proving to be one of the sharpest shot-stoppers in the league.
Luckily for Utrecht fans, his injury doesn’t look too serious. That’s good news, because Utrecht are about to play in the Europa League for the first time since 2011.
Defense:
Givairo Read (Feyenoord) – 8.6
Givairo Read finally showed why Feyenoord fans are so excited about him. After struggling with fitness earlier in the season, he made just his second start—and boy, did he shine. Read set up the only goal of the match against Heerenveen with a cheeky backheel pass, which allowed Anis Hadj Moussa to score.
He also created two chances, won five duels, and made four clearances. Not bad for a guy still getting his rhythm back!
Joris Kramer (Go Ahead Eagles) – 8.4
Go Ahead Eagles finally grabbed their first Eredivisie win of the season, beating Volendam 3-0. Defender Joris Kramer was rock solid, making 15 clearances and even creating the opener for Jakob Breum. Sometimes defenders don’t get enough love, but Kramer proved defense can lead to attack.
Teo Quintero (Sparta Rotterdam) – 8.0
Sparta pulled off a late win against Excelsior thanks to Ayoub Oufkir, but the unsung hero was defender Teo Quintero. He had the most touches (85) and passes (53) of any Sparta player, plus 11 clearances. Without him, Sparta might not have even been in the game.
Gijs Smal (Feyenoord) – 8.0
With regular left-back Jordan Bos resting, Gijs Smal stepped in and delivered a clean performance. He won five duels, cleared the ball seven times, and had 100% passing accuracy in the final third. Backups are important in soccer, and Smal proved he’s ready whenever needed.
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Midfield:
Jakob Breum (Go Ahead Eagles) – 8.4
Danish youngster Jakob Breum nearly left for Celtic last summer, but Eagles fans are glad he stayed. Against Volendam, he scored just five minutes into the game and kept causing problems with four shots on target and two big chances created.
Soccer News Combo: Go Ahead Eagles are headed to the Europa League group stage, and Breum will be a player to watch on the European stage.
Joey Veerman (PSV) – 9.1
Here’s where things get really exciting. PSV’s midfield engine, Joey Veerman, had one of the best performances of the season. In the 5-3 win over NEC Nijmegen, he was everywhere—making 62 touches, winning interceptions, creating four chances, and providing an assist.
But the highlight? His spectacular long-range goal, which has already been called the goal of the week in the Eredivisie. Veerman has already scored more goals this season than all of last year, proving he’s on another level.
Soccer Fact Combo: Veerman nearly moved to the English Premier League this summer, with Brentford interested. But PSV fans are grateful the deal fell through—at least for now.
Kenneth Taylor (Ajax) – 8.3
Ajax needed a bounce-back performance after a shaky start, and Kenneth Taylor delivered. Against PEC Zwolle, he set up Mika Godts for a goal, created another big chance, and worked hard defensively with five duels won. Taylor showed why Ajax refused to sell him this summer.
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Forwards:
Makan Aiko (Fortuna Sittard) – 8.6
Super-subs matter too! Makan Aiko came on in the 61st minute against Telstar and completely flipped the game. He scored the 2-1 go-ahead goal and sealed the win with the 3-1 strike on a counterattack. In just 30 minutes, he changed everything.
Ricardo Pepi (PSV) – 9.6 – Player of the Week
The star of the round was without doubt Ricardo Pepi, the American striker nicknamed “El Tren” (The Train). In his first Eredivisie start since January, he scored two crucial goals in PSV’s wild win over NEC.
PSV were under pressure after a shocking 2-0 loss to Telstar the previous week (their first win since 1978!). But Pepi’s goals kept PSV at the top end of the table and gave him his first Player of the Week award of the season.
Soccer Fact Combo: Pepi is also a key player for the USMNT. With the 2026 World Cup on home soil (U.S., Mexico, and Canada), he’s expected to play a huge role. His Eredivisie form will be closely watched by American fans.
Mika Godts (Ajax) – 8.8
Belgian winger Mika Godts made his first start under new Ajax coach Johnny Heitinga and stole the show. He scored two goals, assisted once, and had seven touches inside the box. Ajax’s attack looked sharper with him, and he might have just earned himself a regular spot in the lineup.
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Final Thoughts
Round 5 of the Eredivisie reminded us why Dutch soccer is so entertaining. From Pepi’s heroics to Veerman’s rocket goal, from surprise wins to super subs, the league is full of drama every week.
The Eredivisie isn’t just about Ajax and PSV anymore—clubs like Go Ahead Eagles, Fortuna Sittard, and Sparta are also making headlines. That mix of giants and underdogs is what makes this league so fun to follow.
Fun Soccer Combo Fact: Did you know the Eredivisie has one of the highest average goals-per-game ratios in Europe? That’s why matches like NEC vs PSV (5-3) aren’t rare—they’re part of the Dutch DNA.
With Europa League and Champions League action coming soon, Dutch clubs have the chance to shine in Europe too. And if players like Pepi, Veerman, and Breum keep performing like this, fans are in for a very exciting season.
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