Juventus’s win at AZ Alkmaar was fundamental to their Europa League path. Goals from Koopmeiners and Kolo Muani in the first half decided it, and Meerdink’s goal was not enough for the Dutch side. The team kept up the momentum from the Napoli win with a convincing performance, although a late shiver and a physical drop-off nearly ruined everything. Spalletti analysed it afterwards and also took the chance to remove a pebble from his shoe.
“You Laughed in Our Faces; NEC Have Seven Points”
Speaking to Sky Sport, Spalletti began by saying he was very satisfied. “I am delighted because they played a serious match against a strong team.”
He then returned to Juventus’s first Europa League opponent, a 5-0 win in September. “I go back to NEC, because you laughed in our faces when we told you they were a tough team. They have seven points. So there is something to review in terms of consideration, humility and giving the right value to others without putting pressure on our team. When you win a match it is because the others are weak. You win a serious match, and there are always buts.”
It is a pointed reference to the way the early-season fixture was portrayed. At the time Spalletti had called NEC a difficult side and the result was widely read as a comfortable victory. His point now is that the opponent’s results since have vindicated his assessment, and that the way wins are framed matters for the squad’s mentality.
“Another Five Minutes and We Wouldn’t Have Won”
The most revealing part of his analysis concerned the second half. “Tonight we won a great match and with great football. Then as soon as you drop for a moment, as was also seen in the Champions League, the others always do what they do once, with force, conviction and repeated over time, because even a doubtful behaviour adds up, and with repetition over time it becomes strength. We sat there waiting for them, we no longer came out, with that hesitation, do I go, do I not go, I stay in the middle, and we concede.”
He was candid about how close it was. “If it had lasted another five minutes I think we would not have brought the victory home. The way the match was conducted, the third goal has to be scored. You must not hold on. The concept is reversed.”
The message is that the problem is not defensive organisation but game management. A team ahead and in control should be looking for the third goal rather than waiting for the final whistle. It echoes his comments after Lecce, when he said the second half was “a step backwards” and that the courage shown in the first half faded when the team thought it could manage the game.
Attitude and Mentality
The page’s summary line carries his overall verdict: “a very great attitude and mentality.” The performance in Alkmaar follows the post-Genoa reset: a retreat, Carnevali’s speech, the Napoli win and now a first European away win in the autumn since Celta Vigo. His caution about the late stages shows that, despite the improved mood, he does not regard the underlying problems as solved.
