- Odds: Juventus are the 1.24 favourites to win this Europa League 2026-2027 group-phase opener.
- Away form: NEC have won one and lost two of their last three Eredivisie 2026/2027 away games.
- Away stats: NEC score 1.40 and concede 1.60 goals per match on average on the road in Eredivisie 2026/2027.
NEC can push Juventus, but not past the first post
A clash of styles is on the cards for this Europa League 2026-2027 fixture between La Vecchia Signora and NEC Nijmegen on Thursday with both coaches attempting to impose their own game plans onto the game.
Juventus approach
Luciano Spalletti has a flexible, highly skilled squad that can play in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system depending on the match-up, but there are some basic principles that always stand firm – build-up from the back, overload the wings, pressure with patience, finish with precision.
NEC approach
Dick Schreuder's NEC are almost the direct opposite, setting up in a high-tempo 3-4-2-1 system that turns aggressive in possession, flying wing-backs and lots of vertical risk. NEC's game is to get at the opponent and make them react, while Juventus' is to control and dictate.
Serie A side to beat arrive in good form
So, this match will be won or lost in the wide zones and in the space behind NEC's advanced wing-backs. Juventus arrive as the Serie A 2026/2027 team to beat, having won one and drawn one of their previous two home games in the league, while the Allianz should provide a fairly safe base for them on Thursday.
The last three results in Serie A 2026/2027 – a 2-0 home win over AC Parma, a 1-1 home draw with AC Milan and a 3-2 away loss to Sassuolo – show that Juventus still have some issues to resolve, but that is still a solid sequence of three wins, one draw and one defeat in their last five overall.
NEC are patchy at best, but not bad enough to be swept aside
NEC's form is patchy at best, with three wins, two draws and five defeats across their last 10 in all competitions.
In the Eredivisie 2026/2027 their recent results have been a 1-3 home defeat to Feyenoord Rotterdam, a 2-2 draw at home to Excelsior Rotterdam and a 3-0 loss away to Cambuur Leeuwarden.
The Dutch side are clearly vulnerable and have not yet shown the sort of form that suggests they can compete with the likes of Juventus, but neither are they the sort of club that will get walked over by the Serie A champions.
Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals looks the best way to play
Juventus are the likeliest winners here, but the odds are telling us that this will be a control victory rather than a shootout.
- Tjaronn Chery, who has scored two of NEC's six goals in the last five matches, is the spark for the Dutch club and they will play to get him the ball in space.
- So, we have to lean towards goals in this one, with Over 2.5 goals at 1.45 and Both Teams To Score – No at 1.8 the two best options.
- We're going with BTTS-No because of the strong defensive records of both clubs, although a Juventus win with under 3 goals is the sharpest angle in a game that could still get stretched by NEC's front-foot approach.
