Juventus left Cagliari with a point and, perhaps more importantly, with Randal Kolo Muani finally back on the scoresheet in Serie A. As the familiar anxiety of another difficult afternoon on the island began to take hold, the French forward pulled the Bianconeri level at 1-1 and ended a league drought that had lasted 231 days.
It was a goal with the instincts expected of a centre-forward. Kerim Alajbegovic delivered a gentle ball from the left and Kolo Muani turned it home, giving Juventus a response after a first half in which he had made little impact. Soon afterwards he had the opportunity to complete the turnaround from close range, but struck the crossbar.
For a player signed for €50 million and strongly wanted by Juventus, the moment carried more weight than a single equaliser. Kolo Muani had failed to score across the opening five Serie A rounds, with his only goal this season arriving in the Europa League against NEC. His last league goal had come against Tottenham, and the wait had begun to hang heavily over a striker whose first Juventus spell had produced ten goals across Serie A and the cups before concluding with the 2025 Club World Cup.
A change at half-time
Kolo Muani explained that Luciano Spalletti had asked his side to use wider deliveries more frequently after the interval. The adjustment gave him the kind of service he had been missing, while the introduction of Nick Woltemade altered the demands placed on Cagliari’s defence.
“At half-time, Spalletti told us to put in more crosses,” Kolo Muani said. “That gave me more chances to score, also because Woltemade came on. Nick is very tall, so the opponents have more to deal with and that helps me move more freely and become more dangerous.”
The forward admitted the strain of a long spell without a goal, even if he insisted that the dressing room had not allowed the pressure to become isolating. “It is not pleasant for a striker when he does not score, but the coach and my team-mates have always shown confidence in me. Sooner or later the chances come, but I have to keep working hard because I want more.”
His team-mates shared the sense of relief. Pierre Kalulu was pleased to see his friend score, while also regretting the late chance that might have given Juventus the win. “I am happy for Kolo. It is a pity he did not score the second goal near the end,” Kalulu said.
Juventus now move into an intense October programme spanning Serie A and the Europa League. One goal cannot settle every question around an attack that has searched for fluency, but it can change the mood around its number nine. For Kolo Muani, the hope is that the first league goal is not merely the end of a drought, but the beginning of a more productive stretch for both player and club.
