Juventus thrash NEC Nijmegen 5-0 in Europa League opener, end 30-year trophy drought
Juventus kicked off their UEFA Europa League campaign with a commanding 5-0 victory over Dutch side NEC Nijmegen at Turin's Allianz Stadium on September 17, 2026. Nigerian defender Bremer and Argentine forward Nico Gonzalez were among the starters, with Gonzalez scoring early alongside Kerim Alajbegovic and Newcastle loanee Nick Woltemade to make it 3-0 at halftime. Zeki Celik and Randal Kolo Muani added second-half goals to complete the rout.
The win marks Juventus' first step toward ending a 30-year wait for a continental trophy, after failing to qualify for last season's Champions League. They made a better start than Serie A rivals AC Milan, who lost 2-0 to Benfica in the Europa League, while Celtic suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Ferencvaros. English sides shone: Bournemouth won 2-1 at Real Sociedad on their European debut, and Crystal Palace beat Lech Poznan 4-0.
For Nigerian football fans, Juventus' dominant performance signals strong title contention in Europe's secondary club competition. The result highlights the depth of their squad, featuring international stars and promising loanees like Woltemade, as they aim to translate domestic success into European glory. Will this early momentum carry Juventus through the Europa League knockout stages to finally lift a trophy after three decades?