2006 World Cup winner Gianluca Zambrotta has come to the defence of Dusan Vlahovic, urging for more patience as the Serbian striker continues to find his form at Juventus. Since his arrival in Turin, Vlahovic has faced criticism for not scoring as many goals as expected, with many attributing his struggles to the defensive style of former manager Max Allegri. However, with new manager Thiago Motta introducing a more possession-based and offensive approach, expectations for Vlahovic have significantly increased.
Under Motta’s guidance, Juventus now controls games better and generates more scoring opportunities than during Allegri’s tenure. This change in approach has positively affected Vlahovic’s involvement in the team’s play, leading to more chances for him to find the back of the net. Despite this improvement, he has faced difficulties in converting these chances consistently, drawing frustration from fans and leading to suggestions that he should be benched for underperforming.
Zambrotta, however, believes that Vlahovic still has the potential to become a prolific goalscorer for the Bianconeri, but needs time to fully adjust and deliver at a higher level. He highlighted the striker’s quality and the importance of patience, noting that Vlahovic has already shown flashes of his potential, particularly with his two standout goals against Leipzig in the Champions League. Zambrotta, as quoted by Tuttomercatoweb, stated:
“How many goals does Vlahovic score? I hope for him and for Juve that he gets to these goals. In Leipzig in the Champions League, he scored two extraordinary ones, like a true striker. He has top quality, but he needs time and playable balls, although he gets them too. But yes, he can score 25-30 goals.”
Zambrotta’s defence of Vlahovic serves as a reminder that goal-scoring form can be elusive even for talented strikers, especially in a team undergoing significant tactical adjustments. Vlahovic, who has now been at Juventus for more than two seasons, must start converting his increased opportunities into goals, knowing that the expectations from the club and its supporters are justified. The Bianconeri faithful are eager to see him become the consistent scorer they envisioned when he first joined.