Chris Wildgoose | Sports Journalist

With a third of the season played, Feyenoord lead the way in the Dutch Eredivisie – three points clear of Ajax and five ahead of champions PSV Eindhoven.

It’s the 61st campaign of the professional Dutch top flight and the three aforementioned teams have been ever present since its conception back in 1956. Since then, the trio have amassed 54 titles between them (Ajax 25, PSV 20 and Feyenoord nine) and have an incredible 70 Dutch championships overall (Ajax 33, PSV 23 and Feyenoord 14).

In Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Feyenoord have a young, dynamic manager who knows the ethos of the club. The Netherlands legend came through the ranks at the Rotterdam-based side and ended his career at De Kuip after a trophy-laden career at Rangers, Arsenal and Barcelona.

However, despite winning league titles in Scotland, England and Spain – and a Champions League crown in his time at the Nou Camp – the Eredivisie has eluded him thus far. Last season, van Bronckhorst led Feyenoord to the KNVB Cup in his first full season at the helm having taken over from Fred Rutten.

Performances this campaign have been encouraging – the highlight being a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League group stage on 15 September.

Feyenoord are the top scorers in the league with 28 goals in 11 games. Danish striker Nicolai Jørgensen has struck eight times and is already proving to be good value for money following his €3.5m move from FC København in the summer. Not only are van Bronckhorst’s side potent in attack, but they are resolute at the back too having only shipped six goals so far.

There’s also experience in the squad, with former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt and former Juventus winger Eljero Elia providing quality from the flanks. But is this a team that can go the distance?

Under the management of Leo Beenhakker, who had a spell in charge of Real Madrid in 1992, Feyenoord’s 1998/99 title winning squad brimmed with quality. Jerzy Dudek was awarded Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year, while Paul Bosvelt and Jean-Paul van Gastel operated from midfield. Up front were John Dahl Tomasson, brought in from Newcastle that summer, and Julio Ricardo Cruz, who went on to win four Serie A titles with Inter Milan.

Also in the squad was Ulrich van Gobbel, who was part of the previous league triumph in 1992/93. The defender was enjoying his second spell with Feyenoord following stints with Turkish giants Galatasaray and Southampton.

Feyenoord finished 15 points clear of runners-up Willem II and a further four points ahead of a PSV side containing Ruud van Nistelrooy, who finished the season as top goalscorer with 31 goals.

However, van Bronckhorst’s men will be hard pushed if they are to claim their first crown in almost two decades. Reigning champions PSV, coached by former Barcelona midfielder Phillip Cocu, have quality in abundance – particularly in defence, where Jetro Willems and Hector Moreno form part of a backline that has only conceded five league goals so far.

Elsewhere, Ajax, under the charge of Peter Bosz (incidentally part of Feyenoord’s 1992/93 title winning squad), have inspirational captain Davy Klaassen, Joël Veltman, Nemanja Gudelj and Chelsea prodigy Bertrand Traoré in the ranks.

No doubt there will be plenty of twists and turns before the Dutch Eredivisie reaches its climax in May, but it will be a fiercely contested race nonetheless.