Roma, Italy – October 26: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus FC talks to Kenan Yildiz of Juventus FC during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Juventus FC at Olimpico on October 26, 2025 in Roma, Italy. (Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images) (Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Luciano Spalletti, like most of the Juventus fans in attendance, was incredulous.
The new Bianconeri boss watched on from the sidelines as his side peppered the Torino goal with half-chances and pot shots.
It was late in the Turin derby, and Juve were desperately seeking a winner.
The Derby della Mole is never a fixture that is high on the purists Wishlist. Juve have dominated the city rivalry for the last three decades, with Torino only winning once in the last 30 years.
In truth, the derby is as dire as it is one-sided. Juve attack; Torino try to hang on to earn a point. This is the pattern of the Mole, rinse and repeat.
This game was no exception.
Torino, in fairness, did have a couple of chances at Michele Di Gregorio, with the Juve stopper being forced into a fine save to deny Che Adams in the second half.
Yet the story of the game lies in stats: 71% possession to The Old Lady; 17 shots, but only five on target and, most importantly, no goals.
Not only do Juve have a scoring problem, they also have a creation one.
Juve lie fifth for big chance creation in Serie A, behind the likes of Genoa and Bologna.
Moreover, they sit first for averaging the most shots on target per-game in the league yet have only scored 14 goals, way behind leaders Inter with 26.
Juve’s top scorer in Serie A is Dusan Vlahoic with three, but only two have come from open play.
Lois Openda and Jonathan David, both signed in the summer to bolster Juve’s attack, have scored a sum total of one goal. David scored on his debut against Parma on the opening weekend, and hasn’t looked close to scoring since.
Openda, meanwhile, was signed on loan with an obligation to buy next summer for close to $50 million, and also hasn’t looked like scoring.
The likes of Kenan Yildiz, Francisco Conceicao and Edon Zhegrova have scored only two between them. The latter, to be fair, is only starting to get some game time now under Spalletti, with predecessor Igor Tudor using the winger sparingly due to fitness concerns.
The goals have been spread around this season. While this in theory is no bad thing, at the end of the day you need strikers to score goals on a consistent basis.
And this is where Juve are badly struggling.
Vlahovic, goals aside, has been in his best form for years. His work ethic has been admirable, fighting for every ball and running the channels, pressing the opposition. Physically, the Serb is in top condition, but Vlahovic is paid to score goals, and clear cut chances have been hard to come by.
Vlahovic has always struggled against opposition who sit deep in a low block. It’s no surprise he’s equalled his Serie A output in the Champions League in just four games.
He excels, naturally, against teams that are more open. But this can also be applied to Juve’s current band of attackers: they’ve found it harder to grind teams down and create chances in Serie A due to teams more defensive approach.
Spalletti needs extra bite in attack, but he also needs a true regista at the base of the midfield who can orchestrate the play, and Manuel Locatelli isn’t the player to do it.
Locatelli, a Juve fan from childhood, isn’t an Andrea Pirlo-esque midfielder who can dictate the tempo, the former Sassuolo man is more a player who sits beside the man who dictates the tempo.
At times he can be a little too laborious on the ball, too ponderous. Spalletti will likely urge the club to look at the January transfer market and see if there’s room for manoeuvre.
As for here and now, Spalletti will take time during the international break to reflect on where he can improve. Perhaps shifting towards a more attacking 4-3-3 formation, or using a system with two strikers, might be the way to go,
More is expected of Openda, who hasn’t scored a goal in any competition for a team since early April and is majorly short of confidence.
Strikers are not having the greatest of times in Italy this season. Juve, like Napoli, Milan and Roma, need to figure out how to make the most of what they have.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmetgates/2025/11/10/juventus-have-a-striking-problem-amid-fourth-goalless-game-in-six/
