Juventus Weathers AZ's Late Push to Grind Out Europa League Win

Ten minutes of total defensive breakdown were all Juventus needed to take control of the match at AFAS Stadion. The final score read 1-2 in favor of the Italian side, which went up by two goals between the 18th and 36th minutes, weathered AZ's push in the second half, and picked up three points in the Europa League league phase despite a nervy finish.

The opener came from a well-executed counterattack: Randal Kolo Muani sent in the cross and Teun Koopmeiners finished with his left foot from the center of the box, just inside the post, making it 0-1 in the 18th minute. AZ barely had time to recover when, in the 36th minute, the second blow landed: Nick Woltemade set up Kolo Muani, who also finished with his left foot, low and inside the post, for the 0-2 that Juventus took into halftime.

The second half saw a shift in tempo. AZ pushed harder, created several chances from outside the box, and the match started to drag on for Juventus, which gradually lost control amid a string of fouls and substitutions. The Dutch side's persistence paid off in the 87th minute: Elijah Dijkstra set up Mexx Meerdink, who finished with his left foot from close range to make it 1-2, a goal that had to go through a VAR review before being confirmed. There was no time left for more, though AZ kept trying until the final whistle with shots from outside the box that failed to find the target.

What the numbers say

AZ dominated possession and generated more overall volume, but Juventus was more clinical when it mattered. The gap also shows up in the match's estimated xG: the Dutch side produced 1.673 compared to Juventus's 0.493, a figure calculated from shot location that confirms AZ had more and better chances, though it wasn't enough to avoid defeat.

Before the match, our outlet's preview gave AZ a 34% chance of winning, a 30% chance of a draw, and 36% for Juventus, with expected goals of 1.28 for the home side and 1.29 for the visitors. The final result, with Juventus clearly ahead on the scoreboard through the first half before holding off the home side's late pressure, ended up matching the forecast that gave a slight edge to the Italian club, though the match turned out to be considerably more even in terms of chances than that tight probability split suggested.

What the result means

With this win, Juventus reaches 10 points in the league phase, with a record of three wins and a draw in its first four matches, placing it fifth in the tournament's overall standings. AZ, meanwhile, is left with the feeling of having created more than the scoreline ultimately reflected: Juventus's opening double, built in just eighteen minutes, proved too heavy a burden to overcome despite the late response from Meerdink, whose goal was confirmed by VAR.