It feels like ages ago, February 7, 2025, to be exact. On that Friday evening in Como, Randal Kolo Muani scored his last goals for Juventus. The French forward, who joined in January, had a sensational start with 5 goals in 3 matches, but his scoring run officially ended there. While it was unrealistic to expect him to maintain that initial pace, coach Thiago Motta continues to prefer him over Dusan Vlahovic for two key reasons.
Finishing Prowess
Firstly, Kolo Muani is a more clinical finisher than Dusan Vlahovic. He boasts a 67% shot accuracy with a 41.67% goal conversion rate. Vlahovic, in contrast, has a 37% shot accuracy and a 14.75% goal conversion rate, considering a larger number of games played. Furthermore, despite playing significantly fewer matches, Kolo Muani has already surpassed Vlahovic in successful dribbles.
Team Contribution
However, Thiago Motta values Kolo Muani more for his overall contribution to the team, both with and without the ball. Comparing Juventus’ victories against Como and Cagliari, where both forwards played and scored, highlights this. Heatmaps from these games reveal that Kolo Muani is active across the pitch, from midfield forward, whereas Vlahovic primarily operates in the right side of the attacking third, often moving left to open up play.
Different Center-Forward Profiles
Expanding the statistical comparison to include all games played so far (6 for Kolo Muani vs. 21 for Vlahovic), Kolo Muani has created nearly the same number of key chances (9 vs. 11), drawn half the number of fouls, recovered the same number of balls, and doubled Vlahovic in tackles won.
Motta’s Choice
Essentially, Kolo Muani contributes more to the team’s attacking play development, works harder defensively, and facilitates better link-up play for midfielders, allowing them to penetrate the penalty area more effectively. Considering Vlahovic’s uncertain contract situation and potential summer departure, while Juventus aims to invest in Kolo Muani for the long term, Motta’s current tactical preference could become a permanent decision.