Juventus Must Focus Against NEC Nijmegen in Europa League
Luciano Spalletti did not waste time dressing it up. If Juventus approach their Europa League opener against NEC Nijmegen with the wrong mindset, Thursday night in Turin could quickly turn “uncomfortable”.
The coach faced the media on Tuesday, still smarting from a chaotic 3-2 defeat to Sassuolo in Serie A at the weekend, and made it clear that reputation and predictions count for nothing under the lights in Europe.
Mentality over favourites’ tag
On paper, Juventus are heavy favourites. They’re at home, they’re expected to go deep into this season’s Europa League, and NEC arrive from the Eredivisie as clear underdogs.
Spalletti wants none of that talk.
For him, everything starts – and could collapse – in the head.
“We could have been more attentive, fluid and now we have to be aware of the fact that we need to improve. We've outlined what we want to do and the things that we need to correct,” he said, reflecting on the Sassuolo defeat that has already raised early questions about this Juventus side.
The response he’s looking for is not just tactical. It’s psychological.
“We have to be tighter to cut off some of the opponents' passing lines and understand when to go and press, when to drop into the low block, these are the sorts of things we can correct. Today, the difference will be in how we interpret the situation. The mentality will be fundamental tomorrow.”
That last line hung in the air. For Spalletti, Thursday is as much an exam of focus as it is of quality.
Respect for NEC and a clear warning
Juventus cannot say they were not warned.
Spalletti sees danger in NEC’s flexibility and imagination, and he expects the Dutch side to arrive with a clear, tailored plan to make life awkward for the Bianconeri.
“We should expect a 'personalised' game plan with lots of quality ideas. We have to be ready, otherwise we could be surprised,” he cautioned.
The threat is not abstract. He picked out experience and craft as key weapons for NEC, with one name standing out.
“They also have strong players like [Dusan] Tadic and they play with inverted wingers because they want to converge towards the goal. We have to be at a high level mentally and if we're not ready, it could become an uncomfortable evening.”
So the message is simple and sharp. Juventus may be favourites, but if the mentality is even slightly off when the whistle blows at 20.00 BST on Thursday, this Europa League campaign could start with exactly the kind of night Spalletti is desperate to avoid.
