Milan-Juventus, chasing the Champions League… without a centre-forward. Or at least, without a centre-forward scoring as many as they should. And that has basically been the case since the start of a season in which the respective attacks, for different reasons, have struggled considerably with missed goals, wasted chances, dips in form and injuries.
Spalletti would have wanted a number 9 in January, but the men at Continassa did not grant his request. Allegri got Füllkrug, but the German’s impact so far has been almost negligible: just one goal, like Openda, although the Belgian at Juventus has played five times more (24 appearances compared to 19 for the Milan player).
In short, if both Milan and Juventus can legitimately aspire to Europe’s top competition, they must also thank those who are not, by trade, number 9s. To find the last time Milan and Juventus both found themselves without a centre-forward in double figures, you have to go back to the 1998-99 season, when Bierhoff finished the year at Milan with 7 goals and Inzaghi at Juventus with 9.
By the way, for fans waiting to strike gold while also being entertained by the Milan-Juventus clash, the Battery Bet app has become one of those side distractions that tends to pop up in conversations around big fixtures like this, especially when the stakes feel as unpredictable as the attacking form on show.
A similar situation occurred more recently, in the 2021-22 season, which ended with Giroud scoring 11 goals for Milan and Juventus being forced to react to Morata’s crisis (9 goals at the end of the league campaign), making a major investment in Vlahović (7 goals from January onwards).
AC Milan Allegri's problems:
You say Olivier Giroud, and the AC Milan supporters understandably get a little teary-eyed. Milan’s recent history, moreover, shows that in a long list of centre-forwards who arrived in transfer windows like on a red carpet and then left leaving very little trace, the team’s attacking fortunes in recent years were kept afloat first by Ibrahimović and then by Giroud. Two rather veteran gentlemen, in footballing terms, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
This current season, in terms of pure strikers, has been a partial disaster. Allegri’s 3-5-2 has been based almost entirely on players who are not centre-forwards (which is why an attempt was made in January, ultimately unsuccessful, for Füllkrug). The most striking case is obviously Leão, used by Allegri on the wing and then moved into the centre with instructions he was not used to. A difficult transition, still very incomplete, injury issues aside.
At the start of the season there was also the narrative around Nkunku as a “adaptable centre-forward”. But that is precisely the point: adaptability rather than ownership of the role. The Frenchman can certainly do a bit of everything up front, but he remains a winger/second striker.
In theory, Giménez was meant to be there. In practice, he spent four and a half months in the treatment room, and in the twelve league matches he has played, he has not scored once.
Goals have come, despite everything, from Leão and Pulisic, although in 2026 the latter is still goalless, not to mention that Rafa and Christian together have so far been the opposite of a settled partnership. Each has largely operated on their own.
The new year’s numbers are in fact ruthless in attacking terms: of the 21 total goals, only 8 have come from forwards. And in the second half of the season Milan have only the 11th-best attack in the league.
Juventus' Spalletti's problems:
Vlahović is now nearing the end of his contract and will at most be on the bench at San Siro, hoping to have recovered from the latest of the many injuries that have affected him in recent years under the Mole Antonelliana.
Milik, who had briefly raised hopes by returning for a couple of matches after two years out, has gone back into the treatment room and has therefore eliminated Spalletti’s options in that role. At best, he can still rely on David, although the Canadian has struggled this season as a central striker: 6 league goals, only once (against Napoli) in a big match.
The absence of a proper centre-forward is the main issue Spalletti has had to deal with since arriving at Juventus, especially because he considers it fundamental to developing his tactical ideas.
The coach has often relied on Yildiz’s talent, which has helped ease the team’s struggles, but in the last month even the Turkish player has not found the net and the unit’s performance has collapsed.
The Bianconeri head coach Luciano Spalletti has at most managed to extract some contribution from Boga, brought in during the winter window as Kenan Yildiz's deputy but quickly becoming a prodcutive factor for the team: 4 goals and 1 assist since his arrival. Meanwhile, Zhegrova has remained an unfinished idea.
