Juventus Claims 2-1 Victory Over AZ Alkmaar in Europa League Clash
Juventus recorded a strong 2-1 victory against AZ Alkmaar, who had not lost at home in Europe for over three years, with standout performances from Teun Koopmeiners and Randal Kolo Muani in the UEFA Europa League.
The Bianconeri recently secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over Napoli this past Sunday and maintained their unbeaten status in the Europa League with two wins and one draw against Rennes. However, injury woes continued to mount, as Weston McKennie joined a list of players on the treatment table, including Kenan Yildiz, Manuel Locatelli, Nico Gonzalez, Francisco Conceicao, Zeki Celik, Khephren Thuram, and Kamil Grabara, leading to the addition of Jeff Ekhator to the UEFA squad added to the UEFA list.
ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 05: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on before the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD4 match between AZ Alkmaar and Juventus at AZ Stadion on November 05, 2026 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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Siblings Teun and Peer Koopmeiners faced each other, having both been raised in the AZ youth academy, with a banner displayed by fans depicting them as children prior to the match. The Dutch team began their Europa League campaign with a loss to Sunderland but bounced back with victories over Hapoel Beer Sheva and Ararat-Armenia. Despite these struggles, they had maintained an unbeaten streak of 17 UEFA home matches dating back to October 2023.
Missing key players, AZ Alkmaar watched as Jeroen Zoet, Jizz Hornkamp, Wouter Goes, and Stije Resink were sidelined, though Kees Smit returned to the squad for the first time since September 20. They had also experienced two consecutive losses in the Eredivisie without scoring a goal.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 05: Nick Woltemade of Juventus is challenged by Lewis Schouten of AZ Alkmaar during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD4 match between AZ Alkmaar and Juventus at AZ Stadion on November 05, 2026 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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Early in the match, Randal Kolo Muani’s angled shot went close, grazing the far post, before he played a key role in Juventus’s first goal. Kolo Muani lifted the ball over a defender, maneuvered down the right, and provided a pass to Teun Koopmeiners, who scored with a deft finish. The midfielder chose not to celebrate against his hometown team, captained by his brother.
Injuries compounded AZ Alkmaar’s challenges as they were forced to make a substitution due to a Lewis Schouten injury shortly after. Kerim Alajbegovic came close to equalizing with a long-range effort that hit the crossbar, as AZ began to find their rhythm, forcing Juventus keeper Guglielmo Vicario to make a save from a deflected shot by Dave Kwakman.
ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 05: Randal Kolo Muani of Juventus celebrates with teammate Nick Woltemade of Juventus after scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD4 match between AZ Alkmaar and Juventus at AZ Stadion on November 05, 2026 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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Juventus extended their lead when Kolo Muani’s high press forced an error from Mees de Wit, enabling Nick Woltemade to assist Kolo Muani, who finished neatly into the bottom corner.
AZ Alkmaar had opportunities, with Alajbegovic missing a chance after Koopmeiners intercepted a misplayed pass from Jari De Busser. Federico Gatti attempted to create a chance but overplayed his final ball to Kolo Muani. Smit, coming on as a substitute, had a shot blocked and then sent a good effort over the bar from 12 yards out. The hosts also demanded a penalty when Elijah Dijkstra went down amidst pressure from Kelly.
ALKMAAR, NETHERLANDS – NOVEMBER 05: Teun Koopmeiners of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD4 match between AZ Alkmaar and Juventus at AZ Stadion on November 05, 2026 in Alkmaar, Netherlands. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
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AZ Alkmaar eventually pulled one back through Mexx Meerdink, who scored after Ayoub Oufkir intercepted Kelly at the touchline, allowing Dijkstra to assist Meerdink for a close-range tap-in.
The hosts gained momentum and thought they had found an equalizer in stoppage time, but a header from Meerdink was ruled offside, despite an impressive save from Vicario, which led to a rebound opportunity for De Wit that did not count. The pressure mounted for Juventus until the final whistle, including a free kick from Smit that went astray, but the Bianconeri managed to maintain their lead.
T Koopmeiners 19 (J), Kolo Muani 37 (J), Meerdink 88 (A)
