Spalletti warns Juventus could be in for an ‘uncomfortable’ evening against NEC
LECCE, ITALY - MAY 09: Head coach of Juventus FC Luciano Spalletti during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Juventus FC at Stadio Via del Mare on May 09, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
Luciano Spalletti says that the mentality of his Juventus players is the most important thing heading into their first Europa League match of the 2026-27 season against NEC Nijmegen on Thursday night, otherwise the Bianconeri could be in for an ‘uncomfortable’ night.
Spalletti sat down for his customary pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of the Europa League match between Juventus and NEC, which kicks off at 20.00 BST on Thursday evening.
Juventus are the pre-match favourites at home against the Eredivisie outfit, and have been tipped to make a decent run in the Europa League this season, but after a concerning 3-2 defeat against Sassuolo in Serie A over the weekend, Spalletti insists that his players’ mentality being in the right place is the most important thing.
“We could have been more attentive, fluid and now we have to be aware of the fact that we need to improve. We’ve outlined what we want to do and the things that we need to correct,” said Spalletti while analysing his side’s defeat against Sassuolo.
“We have to be tighter to cut off some of the opponents’ passing lines and understand when to go and press, when to drop into the low block, these are the sorts of things we can correct. Today, the difference will be in how we interpret the situation. The mentality will be fundamental tomorrow.”
Spalletti feels that NEC have plenty of ways of threatening Juventus and has urged his players to go into the game with the right attitude and focus if they are to avoid an upset.
“We should expect a ‘personalised’ game plan with lots of quality ideas. We have to be ready, otherwise we could be surprised.
“They also have strong players like [Dusan] Tadic and they play with inverted wingers because they want to converge towards the goal. We have to be at a high level mentally and if we’re not ready, it could become an uncomfortable evening.”
Click here to read Spalletti’s pre-match press conference in full.
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