Juventus 5-0 NEC – Bianconeri in command to jumpstart Europa League campaign

Juventus 5-0 NEC – Bianconeri in command to jumpstart Europa League campaign Juventus needed a response after the 3-2 defeat to Sassuolo and got an emphatic one, five different scorers dismantling NEC Nijmegen at the Allianz Stadium to open their Europa League league phase in style. Three of those goals were firsts for the club, and the whole evening turned on an error inside nine minutes. Kamil Grabara , making his Juventus debut, launched a long ball forward. Stand-in NEC goalkeeper Nikolas Polster came charging out of his box, misjudged the flight completely, and Nico Gonzalez simply took it round him and rolled into an empty net. The Pole had an assist on his first appearance. Alajbegovic made it two on 24 minutes, Weston McKennie carrying the ball forward before squaring to the edge of the box for the Bosnian to drill into the top corner. It was his first since arriving in the summer. Ten minutes later Almugera Kabar dived into Gonzalez inside the area, and Nick Woltemade sent Polster the wrong way from the spot for his first Juventus goal. TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 17: Jhon Lucumi and Kamil Grabara of Juventus celebrate scoring their team’s first goal scored by teammate Nicolas Gonzalez during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Juventus and N.E.C. Nijmegen at Juventus Stadium on September 17, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) NEC improve after the break but never threaten Juventus For all the scoreline, NEC were not passive. They had seven shots to Juventus’ five by half-time and held the larger share of possession, rising to 67 per cent in the opening quarter of an hour after the restart. Ayodele Thomas was their brightest player, twice testing Grabara and beating Federico Gatti to deliver from the left. Dennis Geiger, on early after Clement Bischoff’s injury, dragged an effort narrowly over. The problem was Grabara, who was never seriously troubled, and a Juventus defence that gave nothing away even as Luciano Spalletti leaned on his bench. Gleison Bremer replaced McKennie on the hour with the American easing back from injury, while Francisco Conceicao and Teun Koopmeiners came on for Gonzalez and the booked Douglas Luiz. Perr Schuurs ‘ introduction on 67 minutes was greeted with boos from the home crowd, the former Torino defender’s arrival giving the Bianconeri fans something to jeer about. TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 17: General view inside the stadium before the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Juventus and N.E.C. Nijmegen at Juventus Stadium on September 17, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) Randal Kolo Muani replaced Alajbegovic and needed four minutes to make an impact, beating Tobias Storm and cutting back for Zeki Celik to tap in the fourth, a third first goal of the night. The Frenchman then got one himself on 82, released by Jhon Lucumi, in a similar fashion to Gonzalez’s opener after Polster came charging out. Conceicao went close from range and Augusto Owusu got a late run-out, but the job was long done. For Spalletti, whose position had been the subject of open debate before kick-off and who was publicly backed by sporting director Frederic Massara hours earlier , it is the sort of result that buys a little breathing space.