Juventus made a powerful start to their 2026/27 UEFA Europa League campaign on Thursday night, sweeping aside Dutch side NEC Nijmegen 5-0 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
Luciano Spalletti’s men responded emphatically to their disappointing 3-2 Serie A defeat to Sassuolo at the weekend, producing a dominant performance in front of their home supporters.
Nico Gonzalez, Kerim Alajbegovic, Nick Woltemade, Zeki Celik and Randal Kolo Muani all found the net as Juventus took control of the match early and never allowed NEC a realistic route back into the contest.
Juventus needed only nine minutes to break the deadlock, although the opening goal owed as much to a costly NEC mistake as it did to Gonzalez’s awareness.
Goalkeeper Kamil Grabara launched a long ball forward, but NEC goalkeeper Nikolas Polster came racing out of his area and completely misjudged the flight of the ball. Gonzalez reacted quickest, collected possession with the goal unguarded and calmly finished into an empty net to put Juventus 1-0 ahead in the ninth minute.
The goal also gave Grabara an unusual contribution to his European debut, with the Juventus goalkeeper credited with the assist.
NEC attempted to respond and briefly threatened through Noe Lebreton, whose effort was saved, but Juventus soon restored their attacking pressure.
The second goal arrived in the 24th minute and provided one of the night’s most impressive finishes.
Weston McKennie received the ball and picked out Alajbegovic around the edge of the penalty area. The young Bosnia and Herzegovina international took a couple of touches before unleashing a superb right-footed strike into the top corner.
Polster had little chance of stopping the shot as Juventus doubled their advantage. It was Alajbegovic’s first goal for the Turin club and another encouraging moment for the summer signing. McKennie was credited with the assist.
Juventus then effectively settled the contest before half-time.
In the 35th minute, Gonzalez was brought down inside the penalty area following an awkward challenge from Almugera Kabar, giving the home side a chance to extend their lead from the spot.
Woltemade stepped forward and made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 3-0.
The penalty gave Woltemade his first goal for Juventus and completed an outstanding opening 35 minutes for the hosts.
NEC came out with greater attacking intent after the break and tried to make the second half more competitive. Juventus, however, remained comfortable and Spalletti introduced fresh legs as the visitors attempted to push higher up the pitch.
The Dutch side created a few promising moments, including an effort from Ayodele Thomas that was saved, but their inability to convert their opportunities meant Juventus never looked seriously threatened. NEC finished the match without scoring despite having chances to test the home defence.
Juventus added a fourth goal in the 75th minute.
Kolo Muani, who had come off the bench, produced an important contribution almost immediately, creating the opportunity that allowed Zeki Celik to finish from close range.
Celik’s right-footed effort found the bottom-left corner to make it 4-0. The goal was another landmark moment for the Turkish international, who completed the match after starting at right wing-back.
There was still time for Kolo Muani to get his own name on the scoresheet.
The French forward completed the rout in the 82nd minute after Lucumi sent a ball forward into space. Kolo Muani raced onto it, got ahead of the advancing Polster and finished to make it 5-0.
The goal was particularly significant for Kolo Muani, who had been looking for his first goal of the season. His return to the scoresheet capped a night in which Juventus saw four of their new arrivals score their first goals in the black and white shirt.
The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive European victory for Spalletti’s side.
Juventus had not only secured three points but also responded strongly after their weekend defeat to Sassuolo. The five-goal margin also immediately placed them in a strong position in the early Europa League standings, with goal difference proving valuable in the league phase.
The victory was built on an explosive first half, with Juventus scoring three times in the opening 35 minutes before adding two more goals in the second half.
For NEC, the night represented a difficult return to major European football. The Dutch club struggled to contain Juventus’ attacking quality and eventually suffered a heavy defeat despite showing more attacking intent after the interval.
Juventus will now turn their attention back to domestic football before returning to Europa League action away to Celta Vigo in their next European fixture.
For Spalletti and his players, however, Thursday night’s performance provided exactly the response they would have wanted. After conceding three goals against Sassuolo, Juventus kept a clean sheet, scored five times and gave several new players a chance to announce themselves on the European stage.
Match Details
Juventus 5-0 NEC Nijmegen
Goals:
9′ Nico Gonzalez
Assist: Kamil Grabara
24′ Kerim Alajbegovic
Assist: Weston McKennie
35′ Nick Woltemade
Penalty
75′ Zeki Celik
Assist: Randal Kolo Muani
82′ Randal Kolo Muani
Assist: Jhon Lucumi
