Juventus Visit AZ Alkmaar in First Meeting With Top-Eight Spot at Stake

Juventus play AZ Alkmaar at the AFAS Stadion in Alkmaar, Netherlands, on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the fourth round of the Europa League league phase. It is the first meeting between the clubs, and just a point separates them in the standings, according to The Cult of Calcio.

A win would lift AZ above seventh-placed Juventus, the same outlet reported. AZ currently sit one point short of the top eight.

How the two teams arrive

Juventus come in after a 2-0 home win over Napoli in Serie A, with second-half goals from Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeremie Boga. Even so, The Cult of Calcio noted that the club sit seventh in the Italian league after ten matches.

In Europe, Juventus opened with a 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen and a 2-1 comeback victory at Celta Vigo. They then dropped their first points in a 2-2 home draw with Rennes. Their nine goals across the first three rounds are bettered only by Benfica's 10, the outlet said.

AZ began their European campaign with a 1-0 loss to Sunderland. They then beat Ararat-Armenia and Hapoel Beer-Sheva by an aggregate score of 6-1. Back-to-back Eredivisie defeats to Ajax and Twente, in which AZ failed to score, have dampened that momentum, according to the same preview.

The records on each side

AZ carry a 17-game unbeaten home run in continental competition (14 wins, three draws), dating to their last such defeat in October 2023. The Cult of Calcio also noted that AZ have never lost to Italian opposition, with four wins and a draw in five previous meetings.

Juventus have lost only one of their last ten European fixtures (six wins, three draws) and scored multiple goals in eight of them. Away from home they have been less secure. They have won two of their last five road games and kept one clean sheet in that stretch.

Lineups and absences

Juventus will be without Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Francisco Conceicao, Kamil Grabara and Manuel Locatelli, who are long-term absentees. Zeki Celik and Nico Gonzalez are also injured, The Cult of Calcio reported. For AZ, Stije Resink and Jizz Hornkamp remain out. Young midfielder Kees Smit has returned from injury but is named among the substitutes, according to Black & White & Read All Over.

The confirmed lineups differ from the ones forecast in the preview. Black & White & Read All Over lists Juventus in a 3-4-2-1 formation under manager Luciano Spalletti:

• Goalkeeper and defense: Vicario; Gatti (captain), Lucumi, Kelly.
• Midfield: Kalulu, Sarr, T. Koopmeiners, Cambiaso.
• Attack: Alajbegovic, Kolo Muani and Woltemade.

Bremer and Boga are on the bench. AZ, led by Lee-Roy Echteld, start in a 4-2-3-1: De Busser; Kasius, Goes, Schouten, de Wit; P. Koopmeiners, Kwakman; Stengs, Byskov, Daal; Meerdink. The referee is Damian Sylwestrzak.

What this means for viewers

Kickoff is 8:45 p.m. local time in the Netherlands, which is 7:45 p.m. in the United Kingdom, 2:45 p.m. Eastern, 1:45 p.m. Central and 11:45 a.m. Pacific, according to Black & White & Read All Over.

In the United Kingdom, the match is on TNT Sports 4 and streams on DAZN UK. In the United States, it streams on Paramount+, DAZN USA and Prime Video USA.

For the standings, the result decides whether AZ move above Juventus. Juventus, who are seventh in Serie A, are using the competition as what The Cult of Calcio called a welcome distraction from their domestic form.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by The Cult of Calcio, Flashscore.com, Black & White & Read All Over