Juventus return from the break with a familiar question still unanswered: who will turn their attacking work into league goals? Randal Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade have each scored once against NEC in the Europa League, but neither has yet found the net in Serie A. With a demanding run approaching, Luciano Spalletti needs both forwards to make the next phase of the season more productive.
The decision
Kolo Muani remains central to Juventus’s plans despite an uneven opening. The French forward, whose deal is worth €50 million including bonuses after a year-long pursuit, had appeared to find some momentum in Europe. His display against Atalanta, though without a goal, brought encouragement from the Stadium and from Spalletti, with signs of the player Juventus expected to see.
The following days have been less straightforward. Kolo Muani fractured the little finger on his right hand during the Atalanta match and underwent surgery during the international break. He was not selected by Zidane for France, leaving him in Turin to continue his recovery and training.
A friendly against Cremonese was intended to keep the remaining first-team players sharp, but it did little to settle the debate around the striker. Kolo Muani played 66 minutes without producing a shot on target. He created one promising move, halted by an incident in the area that many felt could have resulted in a penalty, but otherwise struggled to influence the game.
His league figures underline the issue. Across the opening five Serie A rounds, he has played 449 minutes without scoring, despite 2.05 expected goals. He has taken 11 shots, only three of them on target. Juventus have seen that he can be more effective when released into open space and able to run beyond the defence; packed, physical opponents have presented a more difficult problem.
Spalletti has continued to back Kolo Muani and has used the break to work with him. Giovanni Carnevali has called for the forward to restart at full pace, and Juventus know that only goals will remove the uncertainty around a player brought in to lead their attack.
Woltemade is part of the same calculation. His penalty against NEC is his only Juventus goal so far, and his 131 minutes of action leave much still to be discovered. The German forward returned from international duty after criticism in Germany for missing from close range against Serbia.
His wait for a domestic-league goal stretches back to 17 May, when he was still at Newcastle. Spalletti does not intend to abandon Kolo Muani, but he also wants Woltemade to become a reliable option rather than merely another forward in the rotation.
Sunday’s picture
Sunday’s trip to Cagliari offers Juventus an immediate opportunity to alter the pattern. The club face nine matches in 29 days across Serie A and the Europa League, a sequence that will require contributions from every part of the squad.
For the two centre-forwards, however, the requirement is more direct. Juventus have already had promising European moments; the next chapter depends on bringing the same decisiveness into the championship.
