Go Ahead Eagles were Feyenoord's second straight opponent from the Eredivisie top 7 - FC Twente met Feyenoord before the international break and lost 6-2 to Robin van Persie's men, earning the former Premier League icon his first league win as Feyenoord boss.
The visitors got off to the best start, creating two chances in the opening 15 minutes, but neither Enric Llansana nor Mathis Suray could beat Timon Wellenreuther.
30 minutes in, Indonesian international Dean James committed a costly mistake as he took down Anis Hadj Moussa in his own box, gifting Feyenoord a penalty. Former Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder took the ball and slotted it in the top left corner for the lead.
However, the home side would not enter half-time with a lead, as Milan Smit smartly set up Victor Edvardsen for the 1-1 in the second minute of added time.
Argentine striker Julian Carranza, who got the start after Ayase Ueda returned from international duty with an ankle injury, got the opportunity to put Feyenoord back in front just minutes after the break, but his strike hit the post.
Algerian international Hadj Moussa did what Carranza couldn't, ten minutes after the Argentinian's effort, beating Go Ahead Eagles goalkeeper Jari de Busser in the right-hand corner for the 2-1.
The Eagles' response would not take long as Finnish ace Oliver Antman capped off a good attack with a calm finish in the left-hand corner.
Looking to profit from PSV's costly loss to Ajax and FC Twente's defeat to Heracles Almelo, Feyenoord hastily looked for a winner as the match approached the final 15 minutes.
Brazilian starlet Igor Paixao, who contributed to 5 of Feyenoord's 6 goals away at FC Twente before the international break, once again crowned himself the king of De Kuip with a ferocious finish from inside the box, giving Feyenoord the lead with 15 minutes to spare.
Go Ahead Eagles applied the pressure in the closing stages, but could not steal the three points from Feyenoord in the end, as Robin van Persie won his first game as Feyenoord manager in the hollowed De Kuip stadium.
The Rotterdam team closed the gap to PSV to eight points with a game in hand, whilst also distancing themselves from fifth-placed FC Twente after their loss. Feyenoord will meet FC Groningen on Wednesday night as they look to overtake FC Utrecht for the third spot.
View all the match statistics on Flashscore.
