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It was a tough night all round, but especially for manager Dick Schreuder. He stuck with his preferred high defensive line even against a clearly stronger side, a decision that backfired badly and contributed heavily to the scoreline. Given the credit he built up after guiding the club through an excellent campaign last season, this result probably won't cost him his job just yet, but the pressure will certainly start creeping in.
Changes to the Squad Fail to Make a Difference
Schreuder made four changes following last weekend's heavy loss to Cambuur, bringing in Dele Thomas, Bryan Linssen and Dusan Tadic in place of Adam Tahaui, Dennis Geiger and striker Kaj Sierhuis. NEC were also without regular goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettas, who is serving a suspension after being sent off during Champions League qualifying against Bodø/Glimt. Nikolas Polster stepped in between the posts instead.
Unfortunately, the change in personnel didn't change the story. NEC's poor early-season form carried straight into Turin, and the damage started early. Juventus keeper Kamil Grabara sent a long ball straight through the heart of the NEC defence in the ninth minute, and when Polster rushed out to deal with it, he missed the ball entirely. Nico Gonzalez was left with the simplest of finishes to make it 1-0.
Juventus Pile on the Goals Before the Break
Polster did make amends briefly, denying Nick Woltemade with a good save from a header in the 23rd minute. That resistance lasted all of half a minute, though, as Juventus doubled their lead almost immediately after. Weston McKennie played the ball through before squaring it to Kerim Alajbegovic, who smashed it into the corner for 2-0.
Things got worse for NEC before halftime. Gonzalez was brought down by Almugera Kabar inside the box, and Woltemade stepped up to convert the resulting penalty, making it 3-0 at the break.
With the contest essentially over, Juventus eased through the second half but still found time to add two more. Turkish full-back Zeki Celik grabbed the fourth after Randall Kolo Muani skipped past Perr Schuss and squared the ball for an easy tap-in. The fifth followed a familiar pattern, as NEC's high line was exposed once again by a long ball over the top. Polster came off his line but arrived late, allowing Kolo Muani to round him and slot into an empty net.
NEC will look to bounce back domestically against Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday before the international break arrives. Their European journey resumes next month, when Bulgarian outfit Levski Sofia visit for a Europa League league-phase fixture.
