Kamil Grabara logs assist and clean sheet in 5-0 Juventus Europa League win over Nijmegen

Five-goal opener in Turin

Juventus opened their 2026 UEFA Europa League league phase campaign on 17 September 2026 with a 5-0 victory over Dutch club NEC Nijmegen. The fixture featured the debut of 27-year-old Polish goalkeeper Kamil Grabara, who joined the Italian club on loan from German side VfL Wolfsburg. Grabara contributed immediately at both ends of the pitch, keeping a clean sheet and registering an assist in the opening ten minutes. In the ninth minute, Grabara launched a long pass from inside his own penalty area toward forward Nico Gonzalez. Gonzalez controlled the ball, beat opposing goalkeeper Polster, and placed it into an open net to establish an early lead for the hosts.

Debut goals and commanding second half

Juventus added to their advantage throughout the first half, with several summer additions recording their first goals for the club. Kerim Alajbegovic scored the second goal in the 24th minute, followed by a converted penalty from Nick Woltemade in the 35th minute to make it 3-0 before the interval. In the second half, defender Zeki Celik found the net from close range in the 75th minute. Forward Randal Kolo Muani sealed the 5-0 scoreline in the 82nd minute, capitalizing on a handling error by Polster. Grabara was tested multiple times during the contest, parrying a central right-footed attempt from Lebreton and stopping late chances created by Kabar and Thomas.

Manager reaction and player assessment

Following the match, Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti singled out Grabara for his distribution and decision-making under defensive pressure.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise Grabara, because he showed very high quality in his footwork and immense calm. When the opponent presses you with small traps across the pitch, the goalkeeper often becomes the free player, an extra man to build the play.”

Grabara, speaking to Polsat Sport after the final whistle, pointed to the squad's tactical preparation and counter-attacking execution during the victory.

“I believe we were prepared for exactly the kind of opponent we expected. Our coach has incredible experience, he managed several different teams and knows this thoroughly. It was also easy. Training showed that we were prepared excellently.”

Squad competition and tournament outlook

Grabara arrived in Turin following Wolfsburg's relegation from the Bundesliga at the end of the 2025/2026 campaign. In Serie A fixtures prior to the Europa League opener, Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) served as the primary starter. Grabara's performance against Nijmegen drew positive marks across statistical tracking platforms and Italian sports outlets. Rating services WhoScored awarded Grabara an 8.4, Sofascore rated him at 8.3, and Flashscore gave an 8.1. Italian newspaper Leggo awarded him a 7.0, while Eurosport.it, Goal.com, and Tuttomercatoweb each assigned a 6.5.

WhoScored8.4

Sofascore8.3

Flashscore8.1

Leggo7

Eurosport.it6.5

Virgilio Sport6.5

Tuttomercatoweb6.5

WhoScored

8.4 /10

Sofascore

8.3 /10

Flashscore

8.1 /10

Leggo

7 /10

Eurosport.it

6.5 /10

Virgilio Sport

6.5 /10

Tuttomercatoweb

6.5 /10

Data from the article text

The 5-0 victory placed Juventus at the top of the Europa League standings after the first round of fixtures. Juventus will face Spanish side Celta Vigo away on matchday two, before upcoming league phase meetings with Stade Rennais, AZ Alkmaar, Omonia Nicosia, Hapoel Beer Sheva, Ferencvaros, and Real Sociedad. NEC Nijmegen returns to European action with a home match against Bulgarian club Levski Sofia.