Juventus vs NEC Preview: Spalletti’s Short-Handed Bianconeri Start Over in Europe Against a Side That Has Never Been Here

Juventus open their Europa League campaign at home to NEC Nijmegen tonight in the first competitive meeting the two clubs have ever played. Luciano Spalletti’s side arrive badly out of shape — beaten 3-2 at Sassuolo on Sunday with the winner going in four minutes into stoppage time, and missing their captain, their best young attacker and a chunk of the back line. NEC are playing European football for the first time in 17 years, having been rerouted here by a 6-1 aggregate defeat to Bodø/Glimt in Champions League qualifying. These are two clubs who missed the competition they wanted to be in, by very different margins.

How Both Sides Ended Up Here

Neither club planned on a Thursday night in September. Juventus took five points from their final five matches last season and finished outside the Serie A top four, losing their Champions League place in the process. Spalletti arrived mid-campaign as an interim appointment, kept the job, and now finds himself managing in UEFA’s second competition for the fifth different club — after Zenit, Roma, Inter and Napoli — with a record in it that reads two defeats across 18 group-stage fixtures.

NEC’s route involved more drama and ended more painfully. A third-place Eredivisie finish earned them Champions League qualifying, where they got past Olympiacos before running into Bodø/Glimt: 3-1 at home, 3-0 in Norway, 6-1 on aggregate. Consolation came in the form of direct entry to this league phase, their first European campaign since 2008/09. Under Dick Schreuder they play a 3-4-2-1, keep two forwards high, and ask a great deal of their wing-backs.

No Head-to-Head Exists — So Here Are the Recent Records

This is the first meeting between Juventus and NEC Nijmegen in any competition, so there is no head-to-head to lean on. Below is each side’s most recent run of results instead.

Juventus — last four

NEC Nijmegen — last five

NEC have won once in five and conceded 12 goals in six league matches. Their win came away at Zwolle; both of their league victories this season have come on the road.

Four Things to Watch

1. The injury list is doing the team selection

Juventus are without captain Manuel Locatelli, who has had knee surgery and may not return until spring, along with Kenan Yıldız, Khéphren Thuram, Juan Cabal, Jeremie Boga and Jeff Ekhator. Lloyd Kelly is suspended. Andrea Cambiaso and Weston McKennie have returned to full training and should be involved. With Serie A games coming thick and fast, rotation is close to guaranteed — Spalletti has said as much.

2. Woltemade or Kolo Muani, and neither has scored

Both strikers are described as misfiring. Nick Woltemade arrived on loan from Newcastle on deadline day, came off the bench for his debut against Milan, and passed up a good chance six minutes from time. Randal Kolo Muani has been publicly backed by his coach — “I chose him to lead the line and I will stick with that decision” — but is still waiting for his first goal of the campaign. Whichever starts carries the whole weight of a team short on creativity behind him.

3. NEC’s two veterans are the whole attacking plan

The visitors rely on Dušan Tadić and captain Tjaronn Chery to make anything happen. Chery leads their scoring with three league goals and takes the penalties; Tadić has moved into a more central role with Bryan Linssen injured. Behind a depleted defence, that pair need to be efficient with limited service — NEC have produced roughly 1.09 expected goals per match this season while conceding 2.27, against Juventus’ 1.44 and 0.46.

4. Set pieces may decide it

With Yıldız and Thuram out and the centre-forward slot unresolved, Juventus’ cleanest route to a goal might be dead-ball situations rather than open play. Nico González struck the crossbar with an early effort at Sassuolo and has been one of the more reliable creative outlets, and Federico Gatti — who scored in the 92nd minute against Milan — is a real aerial threat from corners. Against a patched-up back three, delivery may matter more than pattern.

Predicted Lineups

Neither side had confirmed a starting eleven at the time of writing. The selections below follow projected line-ups published by Sports Mole, Khel Now and The Hard Tackle. Sources differ on the goalkeeper (Vicario or Grabara) and the centre-forward (Woltemade or Kolo Muani), while NEC’s exact back three depends on late fitness checks — treat all of it as provisional.

Key Battle: González Against Chery

Juventus will try to pin NEC’s wing-backs with Francisco Conceição and Kerim Alajbegović, then use Nico González to connect the wide attacks to whichever striker is chosen. NEC keep two forwards high with Chery in behind them, which gives them a direct route into attack but puts the burden on their wing-backs for width. That makes the middle of the pitch decisive: if González controls the link between Juventus’ midfield and front line, Juve can attack with structure and still keep cover behind the ball. If Chery finds pockets between the home midfield and back line, Turin could yet get an edgy European evening.

Kit Note: Bianconeri Black and White

Juventus’ 2026/27 range is one of the deepest we stock: home, away and third shirts for the current campaign, plus a player-edition home and a long-sleeve version for the colder months ahead. There are kids and womens cuts too, along with the Sgura fourth collaboration from last season and a goalkeeper third. Everything below is in stock and priced per size at the marked price, so browse the rails.

Juventus matchday — home, away, third, player edition and long sleeve

Swipe to browse 5 Juventus shirts

Juventus 26/27 Home Shirt

$38.90

Juventus 26/27 Away Shirt

$38.90

Juventus 26/27 Third Shirt

$38.90

Player Edition Juventus 26/27 Home Shirt

$38.90

Long Sleeve Juventus 26/27 Home Shirt

$48.90

Kids, womens, the Sgura fourth collaboration and the goalkeeper third

Swipe to browse 4 more Juventus pieces

Juventus Home Shirt 2026/27 Kids

$35.99

Juventus Home Shirt 2026/27 Women

$35.99

Juventus X Sgura Fourth Shirt 2025/26

$35.99

Juventus Goalkeeper Shirt 3rd 2025/26

$35.99

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