AZ 1–2 Juventus: Koopmeiners and Kolo Muani build a lead worth protecting

Juventus won 2–1 away to AZ Alkmaar on 5 November, with Teun Koopmeiners scoring against his former club in a victory confirmed by UEFA’s matchday-four roundup.

The first-half advantage

ESPN’s final event record lists Koopmeiners’s opener in the 19th minute and Randal Kolo Muani’s second in the 37th. Juventus led 2–0 at half-time. Mexx Meerdink pulled one back for AZ in the 88th, but the visitors retained all three points.

What changes after the preview

The pre-match discussion focused on Luciano Spalletti’s intended rotation and the need to stay organised against AZ’s pressing. The result supplies a clearer measure: Juventus established their winning margin before the interval, then protected it after a late concession.

Our analysis: the timing of the second goal matters because it gave Juventus room to absorb AZ’s late response. Meerdink’s finish reduced the margin to one, rather than drawing the hosts level. That does not prove every selection choice worked, but it identifies the value of the first-half scoring.

Juventus entered with two wins and a draw. A third win takes them to ten points from four league-phase matches. No qualification or final table position is assumed here.

This article updates the earlier preview on the same URL.