Juventus opened their new Europa League campaign in the best possible way. The Bianconeri crushed NEC 5-0 at the Allianz Stadium, and after the match Nick Woltemade, Nico González and Kerim Alajbegović shared their impressions. All three had good reason to be pleased.
González opened the scoring, Alajbegović made it 2-0, and Woltemade scored his first goal in a Juventus shirt from the penalty spot. Juventus then completed a big European win through Çelik and Kolo Muani.
WOLTEMADE: "THE GOAL WILL HELP ME GAIN CONFIDENCE"
Nick Woltemade had a special night. The German striker started a match for Juventus for the first time and scored straight away. After the match, he was pleased with the result, and he also admitted that he had badly needed a goal.
"I'm very pleased with the result and with how we played. It's always nice to win at home. No football match is easy, but I think we played very well. We knew a tough game was waiting for us and we handled it well," said Woltemade.
He spoke in particular about his first goal for the Bianconeri: "Of course, I'm very happy about my first goal. All in all, it was a great night for me. You can play as well as you like, but for a striker, scoring goals is always the most important thing."
Woltemade believes this goal could make his adjustment period in Turin easier. "This goal will help me settle in and gain confidence. I'm very happy, and I thank my teammate for letting me take the penalty." Sky Sport confirms that it was Nico González who handed the penalty to Woltemade, and the German striker publicly thanked him for the gesture.
WOLTEMADE ON LIFE IN ITALY: "I'M STILL IN A HOTEL"
For Woltemade, the move to Juventus is not just a change of club but an entirely new life.
"Everything is very new for me. I'm in a new country, with a new language. I still don't speak Italian, and I've had to look for a new apartment. For now I'm in a hotel, so every week I learn something new."
Despite his first goal and the convincing win, the German feels he has not yet shown his best.
"I'm still not satisfied with the way I'm playing. I want to keep improving, and then I think I can really help the team a lot."
NICO GONZÁLEZ: "WE NEEDED A WIN LIKE THIS"
Nico González was one of the standout performers against NEC. The Argentine opened the scoring as early as the ninth minute, latching onto a long ball from Kamil Grabara. Later he also won the penalty from which Woltemade scored the third goal.
"We needed this win, but we also needed to play good football. We had four very intense training sessions this week."
González believes Juventus showed on the pitch exactly what they had been working on in the days before
"We played an excellent game and put into practice everything we worked on during the week. In the end, these three points stayed with us."
Juventus's official website also relayed his message that, after the previous defeat, the team needed both a win and a good performance.
NICO: "SPALLETTI GIVES ME CONFIDENCE"
The Argentine highlighted his relationship with Luciano Spalletti and the trust he currently feels at Juventus.
"I feel good in this team now, partly thanks to the coach, who gives me confidence."
He then explained how much the freedom he feels on the pitch again means to him:
"On the pitch I show what I can do because I enjoy myself there. I also have to thank the team for giving me the confidence to do what I know how to do."
"The season is long, and I hope we can keep going like this."
Sky Sport confirms that after the match González singled out the trust of Spalletti and his teammates as one of the reasons for his improved performances.
ALAJBEGOVIĆ: "SPALLETTI IS AN OUTSTANDING COACH AND A GREAT MAN"
Kerim Alajbegović was another key figure of the evening. The young player earned a place in the starting lineup and repaid the trust with a goal in the 24th minute, when, after a combination with Weston McKennie, he fired a powerful shot into the corner of NEC's net to make it 2-0. After the match, he made a point of thanking the coach.
"I'm very happy about the minutes I got on the pitch, and I have to thank the coach. He is an outstanding coach and a great person who has shown that he believes in me."
Alajbegović also highlighted the support he receives from the rest of the squad.
"The team has also given me confidence, and it's incredibly important for us to win and keep on winning." His message for the rest of the season was simple: "We have to look ahead and give our all."
ALAJBEGOVIĆ'S GOAL MAKES JUVENTUS HISTORY
The young player's goal also carried special historical weight. At 18 years and 361 days, Alajbegović became only the second 18-year-old in Juventus history to score in one of the major European competitions. Only Gianfranco Zigoni was younger: he was 18 years and 311 days old when he scored against OFK Beograd in 1963.
THREE SCORERS, THREE REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
For Juventus, the win over NEC brought more than their first three points in the Europa League. Woltemade scored his first goal for Juventus, Alajbegović continued to show why he is earning more and more trust, and Nico González was once again one of the main protagonists.
González's gesture at the penalty was especially notable. The Argentine was the designated taker, but he gave the ball to Woltemade because he wanted the new striker to score his first goal and gain extra confidence. After the 5-0 win over NEC, the three scorers' message is practically the same: Juventus have taken an important step, but no one wants to stop there.
Sources: Juventus.com, Sky Sport Italia, UEFA
