Five-Star Bianconeri: Juventus Cruise Past NEC Nijmegen 5-0 in Europa League Opener
Turin, Italy — September 17, 2026
NEWSOTHER NEWSSPORT
9/18/20262 min read
Juventus delivered an emphatic statement at the Allianz Stadium, opening their 2026–27 UEFA Europa League campaign with a commanding 5-0 rout over Dutch outfit N.E.C. Nijmegen.
Arriving under pressure following a frustrating 3-2 domestic defeat to Sassuolo at the weekend, the Bianconeri needed an immediate response. They produced precisely that, blowing away Rogier Meijer’s visiting side with five goals from five different scorers—three of whom registered their first-ever goals in Juventus black and white.
Match Summary
Match Event Minute Details Score
Goal (JUV) 9' Nicolás González (Assist: Kamil Grabara) 1–0
Goal (JUV) 24' Kerim Alajbegović (Assist: Weston McKennie) 2–0
Goal (JUV) 35' Nick Woltemade (Penalty kick) 3–0
Goal (JUV) 75' Zeki Çelik (Assist: Randal Kolo Muani) 4–0
Goal (JUV) 82' Randal Kolo Muani (Solo finish) 5–0
First-Half Blitz
The tone was set inside the opening ten minutes, sparked by an improbable piece of goalkeeping involvement. Polish shot-stopper Kamil Grabara, handed his full Juventus debut, launched a raking, speculative long ball down the right channel. NEC goalkeeper Nikolas Polster raced recklessly off his line to intercept, badly misjudging the bounce on the turf. Argentine winger Nicolás González pounced on the error, skipping around the stranded keeper before calmly slotting into an empty net to give the hosts an early lead.
Juventus pressed their advantage relentlessly in midfield, where Weston McKennie and Douglas Luiz dictated tempo against Nijmegen’s five-man midfield block. In the 24th minute, McKennie carried the ball through the central corridor and played a weighted pass into the path of summer signing Kerim Alajbegović. The young Bosnian unleashed a blistering 20-yard strike that arrowed into the top-right corner, opening his account for Juventus in spectacular fashion.
Just after the half-hour mark, Nijmegen defender Almugera Kabar mistimed a desperate sliding challenge on González inside the eighteen-yard box, prompting referee Oleksii Derevinskyi to point straight to the spot. Towering forward Nick Woltemade stepped up, sending Polster the wrong way with a composed penalty in the 35th minute to make it 3-0 before the interval.
Second-Half Control and Impact Substitutions
With the result virtually secured, Juventus maintained defensive rigidity while using their bench to inflict further damage.
NEC Nijmegen attempted to establish possession through veteran playmaker Dušan Tadić and Tjaronn Chery, but Juventus center-backs Federico Gatti and Jhon Lucumí stamped out any danger well before Grabara was tested.
The introduction of Randal Kolo Muani in the 70th minute added cutting edge to an already fluid attacking display:
75th Minute: Kolo Muani burst past his marker down the left byline and flashed a low, pinpoint delivery across the face of goal, gifting wingback Zeki Çelik an effortless tap-in at the far post.
82nd Minute: Kolo Muani turned goalscorer, latching onto a loose ball in the box, maneuvering past Perr Schuurs, and firing low into the corner to put the exclamation mark on a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
Key Tactical Takeaways
Direct Transition Efficiency: Juventus repeatedly exploited the high defensive line of NEC's 3-4-2-1 system. Grabara's distribution and McKennie’s line-breaking runs caused chaos between the lines.
Squad Depth on Display: With rotations across the starting eleven and dynamic substitute appearances from Kolo Muani, Teun Koopmeiners, and Francisco Conceição, Juventus proved their roster depth will be a primary weapon across multiple competitions.
Defensive Clean Sheet: Grabara enjoyed a dream debut—registering an assist and keeping a clean sheet without facing a single high-danger shot on target.
What’s Next?
Juventus: Take top spot in the opening phase of the Europa League table and will look to carry this momentum back to domestic Serie A action this weekend.
NEC Nijmegen: Return to the Eredivisie looking to regroup defensively following a steep European learning curve in Turin.