Juventus beat Bologna 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium on April 20, with goals from Jonathan David and Khephren Thuram securing a five-point cushion in fourth place — and Dušan Vlahović, the Bianconeri's nominal centre-forward, was not among the scorers.
That absence is the thread worth pulling. Vlahović has contributed 3 goals and 1 assist across 14 Serie A appearances this season, an average rating of 6.70, and an AI overall score of 70 out of a possible 100. For a striker who turned 26 in January and carries the weight of a significant contract, those numbers describe a player operating well below the level his profile demands.
The timing sharpens the concern. Juventus sit fourth with 63 points from 33 matches — 18 wins, 9 draws, 6 defeats — and have scored 57 goals as a team. A side that productive does not need its centre-forward to be a passenger, but the line-up against Bologna featured Jonathan David and Jeremie Boga starting upfront, with David converting to extend the lead. Vlahović's role in Luciano Spalletti's system, and whether he retains a central place in it, is a question the numbers are beginning to answer without ambiguity.
Spalletti, for his part, used the pre-match media window to urge restraint around Juventus's title ambitions, asking journalists to temper expectations. The coach's measured tone applies equally to individual assessments: 14 appearances at this stage of a season is not a marginal sample, and 3 goals from that volume of involvement is a return that would concern any technical staff.
The AI potential ceiling of 72 suggests marginal room for growth in the model's estimation — a narrow band that implies the system sees Vlahović close to his current ceiling rather than a player mid-development. At 26, that reading is uncomfortable. The Serbian forward still has the physical profile and the technical pedigree to produce more, but production requires opportunity, and opportunity at Juventus is increasingly shared.
With five matches remaining and a Champions League place to protect, Spalletti has no incentive to experiment. Vlahović needs goals, not patience.