Juventus Dominates NEC 5–0 in Europa League Debut
NEC’s return to European competition began with a harsh lesson in Turin, as Dick Schreuder’s side were dismantled 5–0 by a ruthless Juventus on Thursday night.
Early reprieve, then a gift
With first-choice goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz suspended, Nikolas Polster was handed a daunting Europa League debut between the posts. In front of him, Schreuder leaned on experience: Tjaronn Chery, Dusan Tadic and Bryan Linssen all started, while for Juventus, Teun Koopmeiners had to settle for a place on the bench.
Juventus needed barely three minutes to show their intent. Federico Gatti thought he had opened the scoring, only for his effort to be ruled out for a foul on Polster. It felt like a warning. It was.
Moments later, NEC cracked. Nicolás González burst in behind, Polster charged out, misjudged everything and completely missed the ball. González barely had to think, rolling into an empty net for 1–0. From there, the evening spiralled.
Long-range hammer blow and penalty pain
Juventus sensed vulnerability and tightened the grip. Polster briefly held the line with a smart stop from a Nick Woltemade header, but the respite was fleeting.
Kerim Alajbegovic stepped up and changed the tone of the night with one swing of his boot. Space opened up in front of him, he let fly from distance, and his thunderous strike ripped into the net for 2–0. Polster stood no chance.
NEC’s problems deepened. Clement Bischoff pulled up with a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Dennis Geiger, forcing an early reshuffle Schreuder could have done without.
The pressure kept coming. Almugera Kabar mistimed a challenge on González inside the box, and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Woltemade took responsibility and calmly converted for 3–0. Juventus were cruising; NEC were clinging on.
NEC’s flickers before the break
To their credit, NEC refused to fold completely before half-time and finally pushed Juventus back. Noé Lebreton forced Kamil Grabara into action, Kabar also drew a save from the Polish goalkeeper, and Linssen lashed an effort over when well placed.
Those half-chances at least hinted at a contest, but the scoreboard told a different story as the teams walked off. Juventus were in control, NEC already staring at damage limitation.
Flat restart, brutal finish
The second half opened at a slower tempo. Juventus managed the game, content to let the clock tick, while NEC struggled to find any real incision. Geiger tried to ignite something with a long-range strike, yet Grabara watched it all the way.
For a while, it looked as if the scoreline might stay respectable. Then the final 15 minutes tore up that notion.
Randal Kolo Muani, introduced to stretch a tiring defence, did exactly that. He drove to the byline and cut the ball back perfectly for Zeki Çelik, who arrived to sweep home the fourth. NEC’s resistance, thin as it was, finally snapped.
Barely moments later, Kolo Muani took centre stage himself. Slipped through on goal, he rounded the onrushing Polster with ease and tapped in for 5–0, a finish that underlined the gulf in ruthlessness on the night.
NEC’s Europa League journey is only just underway, but after a night like this in Turin, the question is clear: how quickly can Schreuder’s side learn, regroup, and prove they belong on this stage?
