The victory for Lecce brought Juventus back three points, but Luciano Spalletti's team did not solve the most pressing problem: the lack of goals from the number nines. In a match that ended 2‑0 in favor of Via del Mare, the goal came thanks to McKennie and Douglas Luiz, while Randal Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade left the match without scoring. The Frenchman finished the first half with just one shot, failing to hit the target, and was replaced at the start of the second half. The German, despite playing better, missed an excellent opportunity in the final minutes. Of the 11 goals scored so far in the league by Juve, only one was scored by these two attackers, a figure that does not correspond to expectations after the investments made in the summer.
The forward market also remains open for the winter season. The name that pops up the most is that of Folarin Balogun, the American center forward who could leave Monaco as early as the January session. However, the operation would require a significant investment and would force the Old Lady to postpone an expense planned for the summer. A cheaper alternative could be AlexanderSorloth, with Atletico Madrid willing to evaluate a temporary solution. Other profiles, such as MateoRetegui and GiuseppeRaimondo, are also under discussion, but have different costs, characteristics and prospects.
Before making a final decision, Juventus will also have to evaluate the situation of Jeff Ekhator, the 2006 youngster purchased in the summer from Genoa. He has not yet had the opportunity to officially debut in Turin due to physical problems that limited his first months. His return, if it came to fruition, would offer Spalletti a more physical striker and more in line with the identikit of the area center forward missing from the squad.
KoloMuani and Woltemade will have other opportunities to demonstrate their value in the next matches against Genoa and Napoli, but the question remains open: if the number nines continue not to find the target, Juventus could return to the market in January for a new center forward. The technical management will therefore have to balance immediate needs with investment possibilities, taking into account both external offers and the internal potential represented by Ekhator. In any case, Spalletti's team is under pressure to find a quick and effective solution to the goal production problem.