Zenga Warns Juventus Lacks Classic Centre-Forward

Walter Zenga has sounded the alarm over Juventus’ attack, insisting that even after the arrivals of Randal Kolo Muani from PSG and Nick Woltemade from Newcastle United, the squad still lacks a classic centre-forward capable of hitting 15 league goals.

Juventus travel to face Sassuolo this evening at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST), but the build-up in Turin has been dominated by doubts rather than optimism.

Zenga’s verdict: “No real No 9”

The former Italy goalkeeper and coach, now a Sky Sport Italia pundit, looked at the likely starting XI and did not like what he saw in the penalty area.

It is expected that Kolo Muani will lead the line, with Kerim Alajbegovic, Nico Gonzalez and Francisco Conceicao operating around him. On paper, it is a fluid, mobile front four. Zenga sees a problem.

“Kolo Muani is not a Number 9, that kind of hitman who can score 15 goals per season, and neither is Woltemade really,” he said, cutting straight to the point.

In his eyes, Juventus have built an attack full of movement but short on the ruthless, box-dwelling finisher that has defined so many of their title-winning sides.

Injury crisis and missed opportunities

Luciano Spalletti has enough to worry about even before the tactical debate starts. The injury list is long and unforgiving: Manuel Locatelli, Jeremie Boga, Weston McKennie, Andrea Cambiaso, Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal are all out of this trip.

The bench is thinner, the options reduced. Yet Zenga’s frustration goes deeper than one bad week of fitness updates.

“To think that Arek Milik has been out injured for two years and is still on the Juve books,” he noted, highlighting a centre-forward who has barely been able to contribute.

Then he turned to the name that still stings in Turin.

“Above all, to think that they had a striker like Dusan Vlahovic who left for reasons we don’t know, but which are presumably tied to his agent and the contract.

“In theory, Juve had two strikers in the squad there with the potential to score 25-30 goals between them.”

That is the heart of his argument: Juventus once had the profile of forwards who could share a heavy scoring load. Now, despite significant investment, they are gambling on attackers who thrive between the lines rather than on the penalty spot.

Spalletti’s next move

Given the traits of Kolo Muani and Woltemade, Zenga expects Spalletti to tinker. The coach has never been shy about reshaping systems to suit his forwards, and this squad almost invites an experiment.

Kolo Muani likes to drift, attack space, combine. Woltemade offers height and link play rather than pure penalty-box instinct. It points to a Juventus side that may press higher, rotate positions and attack in waves, but still search for that cold-blooded finisher when the season tightens.

Sassuolo away will not decide a campaign. It might, though, offer the first real clue as to whether Juventus can live without a traditional No 9 – or whether this attack will leave them one reliable goalscorer short of where they want to be.