UEFA Europa League Preview: Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen – Team News, Lineups & Preview | OneFootball

Juventus will look to bounce back from a 3-2 defeat at Sassuolo when they take on NEC Nijmegen in their curtain-raising UEFA Europa League fixture. Thursday’s clash at the Allianz Stadium marks the beginning of the Bianconeri’s first appearance in the group/league phase of Europe’s second-tier competition since 2010/11.

After a horror show in Emilia-Romagna on Sunday, Luciano Spalletti’s injury-depleted side returns to Turin to kick off their European campaign. Last season’s final-day fiasco condemned Juventus to a dreadful sixth-place finish, but they can at least draw confidence from being considered one of the leading candidates to win the Europa League this term.

Juventus last lifted this trophy in the early 1990s and boast three UEFA Cup/Europa League titles overall. Despite not dining at Europe’s top table, the record-time Italian champions should be heavily motivated to add another piece of continental silverware to their cabinet and halt a three-decade drought in European football, having last won a UEFA title in 1996.

NEC’s experience on the continental stage is far more modest, with this marking only their second appearance in the group/league phase of a major European competition. The Dutch minnows last reached this juncture in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup. More importantly, they successfully navigated their group-stage campaign that season, only to see their run end in the Round of 32 at the hands of Hamburger SV.

Match Preview

Juventus

It’s not been an ideal Serie A start for Juventus, as they’ve won just two of their opening four league games (W2, D1, L1). However, they’ve fared well in Turin. After a comfortable 2-0 win over Parma, the Bianconeri scored a late equalizer to hold bitter rivals Milan to a 1-1 draw, strengthening their promising home record since the start of March (W4, D2, L1).

Seeking a winning start in Europe’s secondary competition, Juventus could not have asked for a better place to kick off their Europa League journey than Turin, where they’ve won their last three UEFA fixtures. Yet their historic record against Dutch opposition calls for caution, even though they hold a slight edge in these matchups (W10, D6, L7).

Meanwhile, a lack of first-half action has been a common theme in Juventus’ matches this term. Nine of the ten goals scored in their competitive outings this season came after the halftime break, highlighting the potential for an action-packed second half. In fact, they’ve netted just one first-half goal all season.

NEC Nijmegen

Despite overcoming Olympiacos at long odds in the third UEFA Champions League qualifying round, NEC failed to secure their maiden appearance in Europe’s elite club competition. Norwegian powerhouse Bodo/Glimt swept Dick Schreuder’s team away in the qualifying playoffs, claiming a landslide 6-1 aggregate win after scoring precisely three goals in both legs.

Those defeats form part of a more ominous run, which saw NEC pick up just a single win from their last six games in all competitions (D1, L4). Currently stuck in mid-table of the Eredivisie, the visitors have endured an underwhelming league start (W2, D1, L3) following a chastening 3-0 away loss to Cambuur last weekend.

Hitting the road in Europe has proved particularly challenging for NEC, as they’ve lost both away legs in this season’s European qualifiers without finding the net. On the bright side, they beat Udinese 2-0 in their only previous UEFA encounter against Italian opposition, suggesting this might not be plain sailing for Juventus after all.

Team News

A growing injury list has derailed Juventus’ early season. Captain Manuel Locatelli has just undergone knee surgery and could be sidelined until 2027. In addition to the Italian midfielder, Spalletti will also be without standout winger Kenan Yildiz and numerous other first-team stars, including Khephren Thuram, Juan Cabal, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator, Andrea Cambiaso, and Weston McKennie.

NEC, on the other hand, must deal with the absences of Ahmetcan Kaplan, Deveron Fonville, Bryan Linssen, and starting goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz. The visitors’ roster is anything but star-studded, yet they can still call upon former Ajax talisman Dusan Tadic and ex-Borussia Dortmund speed demon Emre Mor, with the latter expected to start on the bench.

Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen Potential Starting Lineups

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Grabara; Celik, Lucumi, Gatti, Kalulu; Sarr, Koopmeiners; Zhegrova, Gonzalez, Alajbegovic; Woltemade.

NEC Nijmegen (3-4-2-1): Polster; Sandler, Storm, Bras; Tahaui, Lebreton, Nejasmic, Bischoff; Tadic, Chery; Serhuis.

Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen Prediction

Despite the absence of numerous first-team stalwarts, Juventus should have no problems putting three points on the board against NEC. It may not be a walk in the park, but the Bianconeri should prevail on sheer firepower.