Four days after putting Napoli to the sword 2-0 in Serie A, Juventus head to Alkmaar on Thursday carrying the kind of confidence Luciano Spalletti’s side has been searching for all autumn. The Bianconeri sit seventh in the Europa League standings with seven points from three games, comfortably inside the top-eight bracket that earns a direct path to the round of 16 playoffs. Standing in their way is an AZ Alkmaar side that has won two of its three Europa League outings but finds itself a point and two places behind Juventus, in a section of the table where the difference between a 1/8-final place and a 1/16-final berth is tighter than the scorelines suggest.
What’s at stake
In this season’s expanded Europa League league stage, 36 clubs play eight matches each, with the top eight finishers advancing directly to the round of 16 playoffs (1/8-finals) and clubs ranked 9th through 24th entering an extra knockout round (1/16-finals). Juventus currently hold seventh place on seven points; AZ sit tenth on six. A Juventus win would push them to 10 points and virtually guarantee top-eight status with four games still to play. AZ, by contrast, need a result here to stay in touch with the clubs above them and protect their shot at the superior bracket.
Defeat for AZ would not mathematically end anything at this stage of the competition, but it would open a four-point gap to Juventus and leave the Dutch side depending on others to stay in the top-eight race. For Spalletti’s men, three points at AFAS Stadion would put real distance between themselves and the 1/16-final zone and allow them to manage the remaining matchdays with more freedom.
How they got here
AZ arrive in mixed domestic form but have been sharper in Europe. Their last five results read W-D-L-L-W (most recent first from their Europa League and Eredivisie schedule): a 1-0 league loss at Ajax five days ago bookended two difficult Eredivisie outings, including a 0-2 home defeat to Twente, but the continental picture is more encouraging. They beat Hapoel Beer Sheva 2-1 at home and followed that with a 4-0 away win at Ararat-Armenia, suggesting Lee-Roy Echteld’s side reserves its better performances for Thursday nights. Juventus’s last five tell a different story: W-L-W-D-L across Serie A and Europa League, capped by that clean-sheet win over Napoli. They were held 2-2 at home by Rennes in matchday 3 of this competition, a draw that keeps their defensive record under scrutiny.
In the Europa League table, Juventus’s seven points (two wins, one draw, no losses) place them two points clear of AZ’s six (two wins, one loss). The top of the table is dominated by Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth, all on nine points with perfect records, so neither side is competing for first place. The real fight is over that eighth spot and beyond.
Key battle to watch
AZ’s wide attackers have been central to their European output, as the 4-0 win in Armenia showed, and they will look to use the width of AFAS Stadion’s compact atmosphere to get in behind Juventus’s defensive line. Juventus’s back four, organized but not immune after conceding three at home to Lazio in October, will be tested by AZ’s pace in transition. How Spalletti sets up defensively off the ball, and whether he deploys Teun Koopmeiners in a role that screens the defence or presses high, could determine whether AZ get the space they need. If Juventus can win the midfield zone and limit AZ to half-chances, the Italian side’s firepower in attack should be enough to settle the game.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
Juventus’s momentum from the Napoli win, combined with a Europa League record that shows no losses in three games, makes them the stronger side on paper heading into Alkmaar. AZ’s home form in Europe has been solid, though, and they will press high from the start to avoid falling further behind in the standings. A close game seems likely, with Juventus having enough quality to nick a win without necessarily controlling the full 90 minutes.