Juventus begin Europa League campaign at home to NEC Nijmegen

Juventus welcome NEC Nijmegen to the Allianz Stadium on Thursday as both sides begin their Europa League league-phase campaigns.

The clubs have never met in an official match, making the fixture their first opportunity to assess one another in European competition.

Juventus return to the Europa League after finishing sixth in Serie A last season with 69 points. Their new domestic campaign began with two wins and a draw, but that unbeaten start ended on Sunday when they were beaten 3-2 by Sassuolo.

Edon Zhegrova scored twice for Juventus in that defeat, while manager Luciano Spalletti will also have Randal Kolo Muani and Jhon Lucumi available after both players joined the club during the summer transfer window.

The Turin side will be aiming to respond immediately and make home advantage count in their opening European fixture. A positive result would give Spalletti’s team an early platform in the competition after their first loss of the season.

NEC Nijmegen are appearing in a European competition for the first time since the 2008-2009 season. The Dutch club qualified for the Europa League after finishing third in the Eredivisie in 2025-2026.

Their route to Europe began in the Champions League qualifying rounds, where they eliminated Olympiakos. NEC Nijmegen were then beaten by Bodø/Glimt in the play-off round.

Dick Schreuder’s side arrive in Turin in less convincing form, however. They are without a win in their past three matches and suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat by Cambuur on Saturday.

The match therefore represents an important early examination for both teams. Juventus will look to use the Allianz Stadium to establish momentum, while NEC Nijmegen will attempt to produce a surprise result against one of the competition’s more established clubs.

Tjaronn Chery is one of the players Juventus will need to monitor. He is NEC Nijmegen’s leading scorer this season, with three goals.