AZ vs Juventus – News and Probable Lineups

Separated by just a single point in the Europa League standings, Juventus and AZ Alkmaar are both striving for direct entry into the tournament’s round of 16.

Scheduled to clash at AFAS Stadion on Thursday evening, Juventus has had a solid start, while AZ maintains an impressive unbeaten streak at home in UEFA competitions.

Match overview

Typically more familiar with competing at the highest level in Europe, Juventus began their Europa League journey with a dominant 5-0 win against NEC on home soil, before facing more challenges in their second match against Celta Vigo.

Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani both found the net as Juventus triumphed over Celta, placing them at the top of the group, although they fell to seventh following a home draw in their most recent outing.

After Zeki Celik had put Rennes in front, Juventus found themselves trailing 2-1 with just half an hour left, but Woltemade managed to level the score from the penalty spot.

Since that match, results in Serie A have been varied for the Bianconeri, as they secured a 2-0 victory over Lecce but suffered a similar 2-0 defeat to Genoa, setting the stage for a crucial encounter against Napoli this Sunday evening.

Prior to kick-off in Turin, Luciano Spalletti’s injury-depleted squad is positioned 11 points off the league leaders, situated below newcomers Frosinone and just above rivals Torino.

With his position potentially at risk, Spalletti needed a win against a club he notably guided to the Scudetto in 2023, and thanks to extraordinary efforts from Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeremie Boga, the task was achieved.

In stark contrast to their domestic challenges, Juventus has only dropped one of their last 10 games in European competitions, regularly finding the net at least twice in eight of those fixtures – a welcome return to the Europa League for them.

Going into this fixture, Juventus sits in seventh place on seven points, just ahead of AZ, which is positioned in tenth with one point less.

The Dutch team has bounced back strongly following a loss on the opening day against Sunderland, first securing a win against Hapoel Be’er Sheva at home, and then cruising to victory in Yerevan.

AZ convincingly defeated Ararat-Armênia at the end of last month, with Brazilian winger Weslley Patati netting twice in a resounding 4-0 victory.

Returning to Alkmaar, they remain unbeaten in their last 17 European home matches, a run stretching back to a Conference League encounter with Aston Villa three years ago.

However, like Juventus, they have recently struggled in their domestic campaign: Leeroy Echteld’s squad has picked up just one point from their last four league matches, placing them fifth in the Eredivisie standings.

During a challenging series of fixtures, they suffered a 2-0 loss to Feyenoord, drew 2-2 with Cambuur, lost 2-0 at home to Twente, and most recently fell 1-0 to Ajax in Amsterdam.

Team News

Juventus continues to face several absences due to ongoing injury issues.

Celik and Nico Gonzalez have recently joined Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Francisco Conceicao, Kamil Grabara, and captain Manuel Locatelli on the injury list.

Moreover, Weston McKennie, Juan Cabal, and Alajbegovic have all picked up knocks during the match against Napoli but are expected to contribute in Alkmaar.

With Jeff Ekhator recently returning, there are limited options available to support Kolo Muani and Woltemade, the latter currently tied for the top scorer in this season’s Europa League with three goals.

AZ forwards Patati and Mexx Meerdink each have two goals and are likely to be part of the host’s attacking trio.

Ayoub Oufkir is another option as he returns from a domestic suspension, while rising talent Kees Smit could make the bench after recovering from an injury.

Club captain Peer Koopmeiners may face off against his older brother Teun, who has scored 35 goals in 116 appearances for AZ and could appear for Juventus in midfield.

AZ Alkmaar probable starting XI:

De Busser; Dijkstra, Goes, Hoedt, De Wit; Kwakman, P. Koopmeiners; Patati, Stengs, Daal; Meerdink

Juventus probable starting XI:

Viceroy; Kalulu, Gatti, Bremer, Cambiaso; Luiz, Sarr; Kolo Muani, T. Koopmeiners, Alajbegovic; Voltemade

While their progression in Serie A has been gradual since Spalletti’s arrival last year, Juventus remains a formidable presence at the Europa League level.

With a touch of fortune, the Bianconeri might challenge AZ’s long-standing unbeaten run on home soil, but a draw is the most likely outcome.