Juventus faces NEC Nijmegen in Europa League opener

Juventus is set to begin its UEFA Europa League campaign with a home match against Dutch side NEC Nijmegen at the Allianz Stadium. The match follows a difficult period for the Italian club, which recently suffered a 3-2 defeat against Sassuolo in Serie A.

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti faces significant squad challenges due to numerous injuries, including Kenan Yildiz, Kephren Thuram, and Manuel Locatelli. However, the team receives a boost with the return of Weston McKennie and Andrea Cambiaso to training. The club is also reportedly prioritizing contract extensions for key players Pierre Kalulu and Francisco Conceição to ward off interest from Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United.

NEC Nijmegen enters the competition after a strong third-place finish in the Eredivisie last season. While they are considered underdogs due to the massive economic disparity between the two squads—with Juventus' Dušan Vlahović alone valued higher than the entire NEC roster—NEC manager Dick Schreuder emphasizes the need for high intensity to compete.