Juventus vs NEC - prediction, team news, lineups

Italian giants Juventus volition big Dutch hopefuls NEC connected Thursday evening, erstwhile the brace commence their Europa League campaigns.

Albeit successful a antithetic manner, some clubs fto Champions League qualification gaffe done their grasp, truthful they indispensable present tackle UEFA's second-tier competition. 

Match preview

After a costly illness astatine the extremity of past word - taking conscionable 5 points from their last 5 games - Juventus failed to marque the apical 4 successful Serie A, missing retired connected a spot successful the Champions League. 

Appointed part-way done different sub-par campaign, interim manager Luciano Spalletti was spared the sack and gained an extended contract, but his squad has made a mixed commencement to the caller season.

Having edged past Frosinone and Parma, they required a last-gasp leveller to debar decision astatine location to AC Milan, earlier suffering a precise achy setback connected Sunday.

After doubly coming backmost from behind, Spalletti's broadside went successful hunt of triumph but were caught connected the antagonistic by Sassuolo, whose 94th-minute victor was struck by Vasilije Adzic - a subordinate presently connected indebtedness from Juve. 

So, the Bianconeri indispensable purpose to bounce consecutive backmost from decision arsenic they participate their latest continental campaign.

Two-time European champions, Juve person a affluent practice down them, portion their vastly experienced manager is precise acquainted with this competition.

Juventus volition beryllium the 5th nine Spalletti has managed successful the Europa League - pursuing Zenit St Petersburg, Roma, Inter Milan and Napoli - and helium has lone mislaid doubly crossed 18 radical fixtures.

By opposition with their illustrious hosts, NEC are featuring successful European contention for lone the 4th clip to day - and the archetypal clip successful 17 years.

Dick Schreuder's broadside defied expectations to decorativeness 3rd successful past season's Eredivisie, earning a spot successful Champions League qualifying.

Having conquered Olympiacos successful their opening contest, the Dutch nine were conscionable a measurement distant from reaching the league phase, but they subsequently mislaid to Bodo/Glimt successful the playoffs. 

Though they were emphatically defeated 6-1 connected aggregate - losing 3-1 successful Nijmegen, past 3-0 successful Norway - nonstop introduction to the Europa League was a large consolation.

Like Juventus, home results person been mixed: aft winning their archetypal 2 distant games but claiming lone 1 constituent from a imaginable six connected location turf, NEC were good beaten past week.

A 3-0 nonaccomplishment to recently promoted Cambuur was not the champion mode to lukewarm up for a challenging travel to Turin.

Juventus signifier (all competitions):

NEC signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Hit by an aboriginal wounded crisis, Spalletti has to find the close equilibrium betwixt Juve's assorted commitments, truthful immoderate squad rotation is expected connected Thursday.

The hosts volition beryllium without Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Juan Cabal, Jeremie Boga, Jeff Ekhator and skipper Manuel Locatelli, the second of whom has conscionable undergone genu country and could beryllium sidelined until adjacent spring.

Lloyd Kelly indispensable besides service a suspension, but Andrea Cambiaso and Weston McKennie person returned to afloat grooming and should some marque the squad.

Misfiring strikers Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani volition vie to pb the hosts' attack, portion NEC's should beryllium led by Kaj Serhuis, with regular frontman Bryan Linssen presently injured.

Ahmetcan Kaplan, Deveron Fonville and goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz are besides unavailable; the second is suspended aft being sent disconnected successful the Champions League playoff against Bodo/Glimt.

Supporting Serhuis up front, Serbian schemer Dusan Tadic is acceptable to nexus up with his chap veteran, 38-year-old skipper Tjaronn Chery.

Juventus imaginable starting lineup:

Grabara; Celik, Lucumi, Gatti, Cambiaso; Sarr, Koopmeiners; Zhegrova, Gonzalez, Alajbegovic; Woltemade

NEC imaginable starting lineup:

Polster; Sandler, Storm, Bras; Tahaui, Lebreton, Nejasmic, Bischoff; Tadic, Chery; Serhuis

We say: Juventus 3-1 NEC 

Given their wounded situation, Juventus could person 1 oculus connected protecting players for Sunday's league crippled against Atalanta, but adjacent a shadiness squad should beryllium capable to bushed NEC.

The visitors boast immoderate endowment and a dash of European experience, but they were outclassed by Bodo/Glimt and person been leaking tons of goals.

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