Spalletti defends Juventus after battling Europa League win in Alkmaar
Luciano Spalletti pushed back at critics after Juventus held off a grateful AZ Alkmaar fightback to win 2-1 in the Europa League, insisting his side showed courage against a side unbeaten at home in Europe for over two years.
Juventus won 2-1 away at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Wednesday, and head coach Luciano Spalletti used the aftermath to defend his team's performance against what he sees as unfair dismissal of their opponents.
"When we win a game, people act as if it was because the opponents were weak, or finding some excuses," Spalletti told Sky Sport Italia, as reported by Football Italia.
The context matters. AZ Alkmaar had gone unbeaten at home in 17 consecutive European fixtures stretching back to October 2023, winning 14 of them. Juventus, meanwhile, were missing several players through injury.
Randal Kolo Muani set up Teun Koopmeiners for the opener, with Koopmeiners facing his hometown club. Kolo Muani then doubled the lead himself after combining with Nick Woltemade.
AZ Alkmaar pulled one back through Mexx Meerdink, who tapped in after Lloyd Kelly was dispossessed near the touchline. Juventus survived a late scare when Meerdink was flagged offside for what would have been an equaliser in stoppage time.
Spalletti rejects the NEC comparison
Spalletti drew a direct line back to Juventus' 5-0 win over NEC earlier in the campaign, a result he feels was used to diminish the opponent rather than credit his team.
"I remember when all of you laughed in my face when we beat NEC 5-0, you acted as if they were a ridiculous team, but NEC now have seven points in the Europa League," he said.
He extended the argument to the match just played, describing AZ Alkmaar's approach as one built on repetition and discipline rather than chance. "These sides might have a predictable way of doing things, but it becomes a strength when they can do it that many times," Spalletti said. He added that the pressure of facing that pattern repeatedly left Juventus pinned back and unsure whether to push out from defence, a hesitation that led directly to the Meerdink goal.
Control without the cushion of a third goal
Spalletti's reading of the match is that Juventus dominated for roughly 70 minutes but never turned that control into the safety of a third goal. "What we needed to do was score a third goal. The way we played, we had to score a third goal there," he said.
He singled out Kolo Muani for praise despite wanting more end product, noting several moments when the forward could have broken clear had the right pass found him. The same frustration applied to the bench options. Spalletti said that Boga and Ekhator could have hurt AZ Alkmaar on the counter-attack, but instead Juventus became anxious in the closing stages, uncertain whether to commit men forward or sit in, and got caught in between.
Spalletti also credited the defensive unit for grinding through an uncomfortable finish. He pointed to Jhon Lucumi doing what he called unseen work on his unfamiliar side, and to Pierre Kalulu covering so much ground that he nearly asked to be substituted through exhaustion.
A goalkeeper lesson and a run of form
One tactical detail stood out to Spalletti beyond his own team: AZ Alkmaar goalkeeper Jari De Busser's distribution. He argued that a goalkeeper comfortable playing out from the back can nullify an opponent's press entirely and effectively function as an extra outfield player, a quality he suggested Italian football has been slow to value.
"In Italy so many said a goalkeeper just has to make saves, but when he can play with his feet like this, he annuls all the pressing that the opponents do," Spalletti said.
The win in Alkmaar follows a 2-0 Serie A victory over Napoli on Sunday and extends an unbeaten Europa League run that now stands at three wins and a 2-2 draw against Rennes. Spalletti framed the willingness to press into AZ Alkmaar's half and accept man-to-man duels for long spells as the most meaningful signal from the night, more important than the scoreline itself.