AZ Alkmaar host Juventus in first-ever Europa League meeting
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
AZ Alkmaar face Juventus in the Europa League on Nov 5 at AFAS Stadion, kickoff 21:00 CET.
It is their first meeting, with brothers Teun and Peer Koopmeiners facing off.
Background
AZ Alkmaar are the Dutch hosts and Juventus the Turin giants, meeting in the League Phase of the UEFA Europa League (European club football's second-tier competition). The match is Matchday 4, and the two clubs have never met before in any official or friendly fixture. Juventus, coached by Luciano Spalletti, come in with two wins and a draw in Europe, while AZ have two wins and a defeat. The fixture also pits Juventus midfielder Teun Koopmeiners against his younger brother Peer, an AZ central midfielder, and the club Teun grew up at until 2021.
How it unfolded
- Aug 29, 2026Juventus' Europa League calendar is confirmed, listing AZ Alkmaar-Juventus on 5 November 2026 at 21:00 CET.
- Oct 22, 2026Juventus draw 2-2 with Rennes at home, while AZ beat Ararat-Armenia 4-0 in the Europa League.
- Oct 25, 2026AZ lose 0-2 to Twente.
- Oct 28, 2026Juventus lose 0-2 away to Genoa in Serie A.
- Oct 31, 2026AZ lose 0-1 to Ajax in the Eredivisie.
- Nov 1, 2026Juventus beat Napoli 2-0 at home in Serie A.
- Nov 5, 2026AZ Alkmaar vs Juventus, Europa League League Phase Matchday 4, at AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar; kickoff 21:00 CET / 20:00 GMT / 3:00 PM ET.
Key terms
- Europa League
- An annual European club football competition organized by UEFA, the second tier below the Champions League.
- League Phase
- The opening stage of a UEFA club competition in which all teams play a single league table to decide who advances.
- Serie A
- The top professional association football league in Italy, established in 1929 and operating with promotion and relegation to Serie B.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Juventus' club preview says Spalletti's side hope to build on two wins and a draw in the Europa League, noting AZ have two wins and a defeat so far.
- Analysts
- OregonLive's John Holland notes Juventus enter at 2-1-0 and seventh in the table, while AZ are 2-0-1 and 10th, having lost their last two league matches.
- Caution
- AZ are unbeaten in their last 17 home matches in Europe (14 wins, 3 draws) since a 4-1 defeat to Aston Villa in October 2023.
- Bulls
- Juventus are unbeaten in their three Europa League matches against Dutch teams (2 wins, 1 draw), scoring seven goals and conceding one.
Still unverified
Probable line-ups, including Pierre Kalulu at right wing-back and Koopmeiners alongside Pape Matar Sarr in central midfield, are reported by Sky Sport and Gazzetta and are not confirmed team sheets.