- 1 Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen: a 94th-minute goal that flips the mood in Turin
- 2 Juventus: a dark night in Sassuolo, but solid foundations
- 3 NEC Nijmegen: plenty of the ball, not nearly enough danger
- 4 Europa League prediction Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen
- 5 Before anything else, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information that can change
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen: a 94th-minute goal that flips the mood in Turin 
Juventus lost 3-2 at Sassuolo on Sunday, September 13, after a goal in the 94th minute. It was their first league defeat of the season in Serie A.
Three days later, the Turin club opens its Europa League league phase. Kick-off is set for Thursday, September 17 at 21:00, at the Allianz Stadium.
Across the way, NEC Nijmegen are in this European campaign thanks to a third-place finish in the Eredivisie last season. The Dutch club is not used to nights like this.
After five league games, the side from Nijmegen have seven points, with two wins, one draw and two defeats. That leaves them ninth in the Netherlands.
The Mapei Stadium collapse is still fresh in the Italian camp. Four goals in 12 minutes at the death, a brace from Edon Zhegrova to drag them level twice, then Vasilije Adzic, on loan from Juventus to Sassuolo this summer, to stick the knife in deep into stoppage time.
Before that night, Luciano Spalletti’s defence had shipped just one goal in three Serie A matches. So this result does not wipe out the sense of solidity they had built at the start of the season.
NEC also come in off a poor result, beaten 3-1 at home by Feyenoord despite 62% possession. More than 500 completed passes and only two shots on target. That tells the story.
On paper, there is hardly any debate about the balance of power. Juventus have a level of continental know-how that NEC simply cannot match.
Juventus: a dark night in Sassuolo, but solid foundations 
Juventus’ start to the league season had plenty to reassure. Two wins against Frosinone and Parma, then a 1-1 draw with AC Milan, with just one goal conceded across the run.
That defensive discipline was matched only by Roma and Lazio at that stage of Serie A. Spalletti had built his side around that balance.
The trip to Reggio Emilia ripped that frame apart. Behind after Esposito opened the scoring in the 65th minute, Juve levelled through Zhegrova in the 82nd, conceded again to Bowie in the 89th, hit back through Zhegrova in the 90th+1, then collapsed in the 90th+4.
The contrast between Juventus’ two faces is stark. One goal conceded in their first three league games, then three in half an hour in Reggio Emilia.
The fact that the winner came from a player on Juventus’ books only added to the sting. Vasilije Adzic is at Sassuolo this season, but still belongs to Juventus.
Edon Zhegrova at least came out of the night with credit. His brace was the best attacking news Juventus could have asked for.
The injury list explains some of the late wobble. Kenan Yildiz, Khéphren Thuram, Weston McKennie and Andrea Cambiaso are all out.
Khéphren Thuram is the biggest loss, with the French midfielder expected to be sidelined until 2027. Spalletti loses a key metronome in midfield.
Europa League action comes at a useful time to get the momentum moving again. A home opener against supposedly weaker opposition offers exactly that kind of chance.
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NEC Nijmegen: plenty of the ball, not nearly enough danger 
NEC earned their European spot with a surprise third-place finish in the Eredivisie. Dick Schreuder has installed a possession-heavy style that has caught the eye in the Dutch league.
This season, though, the returns have been mixed. Seven points from five games, ninth place, two wins, one draw and two defeats.
The home defeat to Feyenoord exposed the limits of the plan. Sixty-two per cent possession, more than 500 completed passes, and only two shots on target in a 3-1 loss.
Feyenoord were happy to let them have the ball, then strike into the space left behind NEC’s back line. That same pattern could easily appear against a Juventus side built to break fast.
NEC did show their attacking upside earlier in the season, though, with a 4-1 win away at Willem II. The tools are there when space opens up.
Their two wins so far also show this is a side that knows how to take points. The issue is consistency, not whether they can play.
Schreuder will have to do without several important names. Emre Mor, Philippe Sandler, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Deveron Fonville and Yassin Moslih are all unavailable.
Those absences hit the back line hardest, and that was already under pressure against Feyenoord. Heading to the Allianz Stadium with a patched-up defence is a real problem.
Probable Juventus line-up: Not announced at the time of publication.
Probable NEC Nijmegen line-up: Not announced at the time of publication.
Europa League prediction Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen
Our prediction: Juventus win and under 3.5 goals in the match
Juventus had conceded just one goal across their first three Serie A games before the mess at Sassuolo. That defensive base remains Spalletti’s calling card.
NEC play plenty of football but convert very little, as their two shots on target against Feyenoord from more than 500 passes showed. Scoring multiple times in Turin would be well above their usual output.
A home European opener after such a painful defeat also tends to push Juventus towards control rather than chaos. A Juventus win with three goals or fewer in total fits both teams’ numbers best.
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