AZ Alkmaar 1-2 Juventus. Teun Koopmeiners scored against his brother Peer's AZ side and Randal Kolo Muani struck the winner before half-time as Juventus survived a late Mexx Meerdink scare to win a Europa League thriller at the AFAS Stadion.
This was billed as a family affair, and it played out like one — with no favours given on either side. The Koopmeiners brothers lined up against each other, Teun for Juventus and Peer for AZ, and it was the elder sibling who struck first before Kolo Muani doubled the lead. AZ, who finished with 57 per cent of the ball and sixteen shots to Juventus' eight, threw everything at the Italians late on, and Meerdink's 88th-minute goal set up a frantic finish — but Juventus held on. The full match record is on Sportradar's match page.
Brother against brother, and Teun strikes first
There is no room for sentiment in a game like this, and Teun Koopmeiners proved it on 19 minutes. Kolo Muani created the opening and Koopmeiners finished it, scoring against the club where his younger brother Peer plays and silencing the home crowd inside the AFAS Stadion. It was a goal with a story attached to it, but for Juventus it was simply the perfect start to a difficult away night.
AZ responded by taking control of the ball, dominating possession and pushing Juventus back, yet on 37 minutes they were hit again. This time the scorer turned provider's partner: Nick Woltemade set up Kolo Muani, and the French forward made it 2-0. Two shots that mattered, two goals, and Juventus went in at half-time in command despite having seen far less of the ball — a lead built on ruthlessness rather than control, exactly the kind of European away performance the build-up in our confirmed lineups piece on the Koopmeiners brothers' meeting had anticipated could be decisive.
AZ dominate, Meerdink strikes, but time runs out
The second half was one-way traffic for long spells. AZ racked up sixteen shots across the night and kept Juventus pinned in their own half, but the finishing touch that Koopmeiners and Kolo Muani had shown in the first half kept eluding them. Wave after wave broke against a defence that bent, blocked and headed everything away.
Finally, with two minutes of normal time left, the breakthrough came: Elijah Dijkstra supplied the pass and Mexx Meerdink finally beat the Juventus goalkeeper to make it 2-1. The AFAS Stadion erupted and sensed an equaliser, but Juventus managed the closing moments, slowed the game down and saw out a win that their first-half finishing had earned and their second-half defending had protected.
So what does this mean for Juventus and AZ?
For Juventus, this is the kind of result that shapes a league phase. Winning away from home while being outshot two to one is not a flaw in the plan; on nights like this, it is the plan. Koopmeiners scoring against his brother will take the headlines, but Kolo Muani's goal and assist made him the outstanding player on the pitch, and Juventus leave Alkmaar with three points that strengthen their push for automatic qualification.
For AZ and Peer Koopmeiners, the frustration is obvious. Fifty-seven per cent possession and sixteen shots should be enough to take something at home, and Meerdink's late goal showed what might have been. But Europa League games at this level are decided in both boxes, and AZ were second best in the moments that counted. They remain a dangerous side in this competition, yet this defeat leaves them with ground to make up — and with a family dinner that may be quieter than usual.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Juventus were outplayed for long spells and won anyway, because Koopmeiners and Kolo Muani took their chances and AZ did not — that is the difference at this level. Teun wins the family bragging rights, but was this a masterclass in away European football or a smash-and-grab? Let us know in the comments.
