Juventus’ fall: What happened to Haaland’s rival, Vlahovic?

Juventus, once the dominant force in Italian football, is a shadow of its former self as it prepares to face Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League. After a remarkable run of nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2012 to 2020, the Turin club has struggled to replicate that success, finishing seventh, fourth (three times), and third in the last five seasons.

Much of the disappointment has centered on Dusan Vlahovic, the 25-year-old Serbian forward who arrived as one of the club’s most expensive signings ever.

Vlahovic burst onto the scene with Fiorentina, quickly drawing comparisons to Erling Haaland. Both players, born in the same year, share a similar position, left-footedness, height, and skillset.

While Haaland has ascended to become one of the world’s premier strikers, Vlahovic’s career trajectory has fallen far short of that level.

What happened to Dusan Vlahovic?

Compared to Haaland

“He was better than Haaland when he came to Juventus. Expectations were high,” says Simen Nordeide, a long-time writer for Juventus Norge.

Vlahovic made waves in the football world after scoring eight goals in his first full season with Fiorentina. This was particularly impressive as Vlahovic was still a teenager for the first half of the season, and he managed to score frequently in a league where young players rarely get a chance.

And there was something about the way he did it, too. Vlahovic oozed star quality. He had the complete package. His shots were powerful and precise. His top speed was incredibly high. He was also big and strong. Where would this end?

The following season saw him continue his goal-scoring form, earning him the Serie A Young Player of the Year award.

In 2021, at 21 years old, Vlahovic finished with an impressive 33 Serie A goals throughout the calendar year – the same total Cristiano Ronaldo achieved for Juventus the year prior.

At that point, Vlahovic and Haaland were the only players born after 2000 with over 40 goals in Europe’s top five leagues.

On his 22nd birthday, Vlahovic signed with Juventus, becoming the most expensive signing in Serie A that transfer window. Expectations were enormous. They weren’t diminished when he inherited the iconic number 7 shirt, previously worn by Cristiano Ronaldo.

“People thought Vlahovic was going to be the type of player who could score at least 30 goals each season for Juventus. There haven’t been many of those in the club. More often, the collective has been important, rather than individual brilliance,” says Nordeide.

Bright Start

His start in Turin was promising. He scored on his debut against Hellas Verona. In his Champions League debut against Villarreal shortly after, Vlahovic needed just 32 seconds to find the back of the net.

“Vlahovic is better than Haaland. He is stronger and more complete,” Serbian Football Association president Nenad Bjekovic declared at the time.

“He was very good in the first period, but then he stagnated quite quickly,” says Nordeide.

There are many reasons why things began to falter from the following season. Vlahovic struggled with injuries, leading to frequent absences.

He also suffered as Juventus underwent a significant downturn and a generational shift that hasn’t fully materialized.

The era of stars and leaders like Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio, Pavel Nedved, Alessandro Del Piero, and Andrea Pirlo feels distant as they currently sit sixth in Serie A and 26th in the Champions League group stage – outside the 24 teams advancing in the tournament.

“Vlahovic’s peak level is good, but he hasn’t been able to perform week after week like other top strikers in Europe. He’s often easily neutralized by physical defenders. The space behind Juventus’ lines isn’t as large as it was when he played for Fiorentina. So we don’t see as many situations where he’s running in on goal – and that’s where he’s at his best,” Nordeide continues.

Crisis at Juventus

While Vlahovic has been Juventus’ top Serie A scorer for three consecutive seasons, the numbers aren’t particularly impressive for a forward at a club that always aims for the top: 10, 16, and 10 goals speak volumes about both Vlahovic and Juventus’ decline after their nine-title run. Nine of those goals came from the penalty spot. Missed chances from close range have often drawn criticism, and boos from the demanding Juventus fans have been frequent.

Vlahovic is also the highest-paid player in Serie A for the past two seasons. Expectations haven’t diminished as a result.

This season, Vlahovic has been one of the few performers under Igor Tudor’s leadership, before the Croatian was sacked. Juventus rarely fires coaches mid-season, but Tudor was dismissed in October after a disastrous start.

He lost his job after eight consecutive games without a win. During this period, they also went four games in a row without scoring a goal.

This is completely unacceptable for a club with the motto: “Winning isn’t important, it’s the only thing that matters.”

Following the 3-1 win against Udinese in October, Vlahovic attempted to address some of the issues at Juventus:

“We’ve changed coaches three times in the last year and a half. We need to look ourselves in the mirror and see what we’re doing wrong. It’s not fair to blame one person, this is everyone’s responsibility. We need to talk less and do more.”

On the Right Track?

Many now point to Vlahovic as Juventus’ best striker, despite often being a substitute this season. His work rate off the ball and his ability to occupy defenders are increasingly being recognized. Many believe he is returning to his best form this season – especially after the start of the season where he contributed four goals and one assist in the first four games.

“At his best, Vlahovic is the type of player who leads the offensive press and strikes fear into opposing defenses,” says Nordeide.

This fear is what Norwegian defenders experienced the last time Vlahovic was in Norway, when Serbia won 2-0 at Ullevaal in the Nations League three years ago. Vlahovic scored Serbia’s first goal.

Now he’s back on Norwegian soil and will make life difficult for Norwegian defenders – again.

“Vlahovic is an incredibly strong striker, who is good when turning. He is incredibly hungry to score goals. From what I’ve seen, the key is to get into his head a bit and hit hard, but that could also trigger him, so there has to be a fine balance there. I have to be just as tough and hard back,” Haitam Aleesami told TV 2.

And, like the age-mate Manchester City star he’s often compared to, Vlahovic thrives in the Champions League: 9 goals in 20 games is a strong record, including Juventus’ lone goal against Sporting in their previous match.

Bodø/Glimt has been warned.

Watch Bodø/Glimt – Juventus from 8:00 PM on TV 2 Play!

Sources: Football Italia, Transfermarkt, Opta, Goal.com