Levi Smans made a strong return to Heerenveen's starting lineup on Saturday, directly contributing to an important 0-4 away win at Sparta Rotterdam. The midfielder provided the assist for Nolhan Courtens' opening goal and showed he has put his injury troubles behind him.
This victory was desperately needed for Heerenveen, breaking a run of five matches without a win. Robin Veldman's team climbed to tenth place in the Eredivisie with nine points from seven games. The three points provide a significant confidence boost ahead of the next fixture against PSV Eindhoven on October 9th.
Smans back to his best
Smans was preferred over Ringo Meerveld due to his greater depth in play and movement. That choice was richly rewarded. The midfielder dribbled past opponents multiple times and created several dangerous chances besides his assist. His performance was described as an excellent match.
"I am becoming my old self again, you could see that now," Smans said afterwards. He emphasised that he is getting fitter every week by training hard during his recovery period. His return to this level comes at the perfect time, as Heerenveen faces a tough run of opponents in the coming weeks, starting with third-placed PSV. The current squad shows Smans has become an important option.
Team performance with four goals
Besides Smans' assist, there were goals from Jacob Trenskow, Maxence Rivera and Marko Farji. It was a complete team performance, with Heerenveen keeping a clean sheet for the first time this season. Trenskow, the current club top scorer with three goals, made it 0-2 just before half-time. The excellent team statistics can be found on the stats page.
The win in Rotterdam gives Heerenveen breathing room in the lower reaches of the table. The team now sits ten points behind leaders AZ Alkmaar. The next challenge is a visit to the Philips Stadion, where the standings show PSV is one of the title contenders. For Smans personally, the path to full fitness is now definitively underway.
More detail at sc Heerenveen
