Juventus open their Europa League campaign against Dutch outfit NEC on Thursday evening, with Luciano Spalletti’s side looking to respond immediately after a damaging late defeat at Sassuolo.
Match preview
Having missed out on Champions League qualification last season, Juventus now turn their attention to Europe’s second-tier competition, and they do so off the back of a painful setback. Twice coming from behind against Sassuolo on Sunday, Spalletti’s side were ultimately undone by a stoppage-time winner from Vasilije Adzic — a player still on loan from the Bianconeri themselves.
That result ended Juventus’s unbeaten start to the season and leaves Spalletti facing his first real test of squad management, with a congested fixture list now demanding rotation just as his group deals with a lengthy injury list.
Still, the coach brings significant pedigree into this competition. Juventus will be the fifth club Spalletti has managed in the Europa League, and across his previous stints at Zenit St Petersburg, Roma, Inter Milan and Napoli he has lost just twice in 18 group-stage fixtures — a record that should offer some reassurance during a difficult opening week.
NEC, by contrast, are relative newcomers to continental football, appearing in Europe for only the fourth time and the first in 17 years. Dick Schreuder’s side impressed in Champions League qualifying, beating Olympiacos before being emphatically eliminated by Bodo/Glimt, and they now arrive in Turin having also endured a difficult run domestically — including a 3-0 defeat to newly promoted Cambuur last time out.
Team News
Juventus continue to be stretched thin. Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Juan Cabal, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator and captain Manuel Locatelli — who has just undergone knee surgery and could be out until spring — are all unavailable, while Lloyd Kelly must serve a suspension. There is better news in defence, however, with Andrea Cambiaso and Weston McKennie back in full training and available for selection.
Up front, Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani continue to compete for a route back to goalscoring form, with one likely to lead the line on Thursday.
For NEC, regular frontman Bryan Linssen remains sidelined, handing the striking role to Kaj Serhuis, who will be supported by the experienced pairing of Dusan Tadic and 38-year-old captain Tjaronn Chery. Goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz is suspended following his red card against Bodo/Glimt, with Ahmetcan Kaplan and Deveron Fonville also missing.
Probable Starting XI’s
Juventus (3-4-2-1): Grabara; Kalulu, Gatti, Lucumí; Çelik, Sarr, Koopmeiners, McKennie; Nico González, Kolo Muani; Woltemade
NEC Nijmegen (3-4-2-1): Polster; Sandler, Storm, Bras; Tahaui, Lebreton, Nejasmic, Bischoff; Tadic, Chery; Serhuis
Prediction
With Sunday’s league trip to Atalanta on the horizon, Spalletti may be tempted to protect a few key names, but even a rotated Juventus side should have enough class to see off a NEC team that struggled badly against Bodo/Glimt.
Expect the hosts to bounce back from their weekend disappointment with a comfortable, if not entirely convincing, win.
Prediction: Juventus 3-1 NEC
