Goals from Koopmeiners and Kolo Muani in the opening 37 minutes did the damage for Juventus, who held on through a nervy final stretch to claim a 2-1 win at AFAS Stadion on Thursday. AZ pressed hard after the break, dominating possession and finishing the game with an xG of 2.18, but their pressure largely came too late. Meerdink pulled one back in the 88th minute, yet Luciano Spalletti’s side did enough to bank three points and move to 10 points from four UEFA Europa League matches.
Key Moments
- 19′, Koopmeiners opened the scoring, converting with Kolo Muani providing the assist to give Juventus an early lead.
- 23′, AZ were forced into an early change, with Schouten coming off after just 23 minutes, replaced by Hoedt.
- 37′, Kolo Muani doubled Juventus’s advantage, finishing from a Woltemade assist to put the visitors firmly in control at the break.
- 60′, Spalletti made two changes at once, withdrawing Kerim-Sam Alajbegovic and Cambiaso for Boga and Cabal, looking to manage the game.
- 88′, Meerdink gave AZ a lifeline, converting a cross from substitute Dijkstra to make it 2-1, setting up a tense finish.
Tactical Breakdown
Juventus were sharp and direct in the first half, exploiting space behind AZ’s high defensive line through the combination of Kolo Muani and Koopmeiners. Despite finishing the game with just 44 percent possession and nine total shots, Spalletti’s side were clinical where it mattered, converting two of their three shots on target. Their xG of 0.63 tells a story of efficiency over volume.
The game’s decisive tactical moment came when Schouten went off injured inside 23 minutes. AZ’s shape was disrupted at a point when they were already a goal down, and Juventus took full advantage seven minutes before half-time through Kolo Muani. After the interval, Lee-Roy Echteld threw on three substitutes at the 63rd minute, including Clasie and Dijkstra, in an attempt to shift momentum. AZ did create more threat in the second half, 18 total shots in the game, but meaningful pressure only really arrived in the final ten minutes.
For AZ, the first half was their undoing. They conceded twice before the break while failing to register a single shot on target, and despite outshooting Juventus 18 to 9 across the full 90 minutes and carrying a significantly higher xG (2.18 vs 0.63), those numbers flatter a performance that was too passive when it mattered. Vicario was barely tested until late, finishing with just two saves.
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Verdict
The win moves Juventus to 10 points from four UEFA Europa League matches, sitting fifth in the league stage table with a record of three wins and one draw. AZ stay 14th on six points, still in position to reach the knockout play-offs, but this home defeat showed the gap between Lee-Roy Echteld’s side and the European heavyweights currently above them in the standings.