His teammates got critic but Dušan Vlahović got a standing ovation. To each, their own – Vlahović certainly deserved his. What he is doing in the calendar year 2024 only confirms the obvious – the Serbian ace is Juventus’ hero. And it is not surprising that the local media started writing ‘epics’ about him.Gazzetta dello Sport notes in rapture that Juventus’ “alien has icy eyes, the build of bronze statues of ancient heroes and a magical fluid in both feet” that allows him to control the ball as if using a remote control.Maybe the Milanese sports newspaper has gone a little too far with metaphors and stories about football fairies, but Vlahović is really playing like a mythical being this year. In 23 games in Serie A, he scored 15 goals, only Lautaro Martínez (22) is more effective, but that is not a particular surprise when you know that Inter Milan scored exactly those 22 goals more than Turin’s Old Lady.If we are only talking about the calendar year 2024, even Martinez cannot follow Vlahović. In fact, no one can. Even Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, scoring monsters who are as used to goals coming as three meals a day, do not keep that rhythm.Vlahovic is a beast! The Serb gets two goals and a decisive assist in a thrilling comeback winThe goal scorer of the Serbian national team this year – not this season – scores a goal for every 68 minutes he spends on the field. Someone would say – a goal per hour. Nine goals in seven games in Serie A. No one in Europe’s top five leagues has had that performance since the calendar turned to January 1.The Italians also have a hidden reason why they emphasize that goal-scoring streak. It’s no secret that this summer Juve seriously considered the option of selling Vlahovic somewhere abroad just to create a budget for bringing in Romelu Lukaku. And there were those who in the fall talked loudly that it should have been done. Now they are silent in dark corners. So that no one sees them. Because no one is talking anymore Lukaku would be a better option.It was a real option. Juve had to ‘iron out’ the financial books and if Chelsea had accepted the terms, we would now be looking at Lukaku in the black and white jersey. Even Massimiliano Allegri gave the green light for such a barter. He won’t say it out loud now, of course.”Vlahović went through a process of growth. He was nervous before. He lived with anxiety, with that restlessness he chased the goal. It’s more balanced now. He keeps the rhythm, his head is balanced all the time. Maybe it only happened to him against Inter,” praises Allegri today.##EDITORS_CHOICE##There is a reason. Exactly two months ago, Vlahović started the duel with Frosinone on the bench. He scored the turnaround and victory in the 81st minute of the game. In the next round, he assisted Adrian Rabiot for 1-0 against Roma. Then he shook the nets of Salernitana, Sassuolo and Lecce twice, then Empoli, Verona and now Frosinone again, – twice again. Only in that Inter Milan clashed he ‘skipped’ contributing to a goal. Let’s not forget that in the second match with Frosinone, he also found Rugani with an assist for 3-2 in stoppage time.He became indispensable. And when you’re like that, then you know you’ve taken over the team. Maybe after the transfer from Fiorentina it took him a little time to get used to the weight of the black and white jersey, but today DV9, as he is already being called, carries the Old Lady on his broad back.The Old Lady carries him too. It’s just such a relationship.”His qualities have always been seen, but now Juve play more offensively and help him more. There are no question marks around Dusan… He is self-confident, he is aware of his role in Juventus. I am convinced that he can be the leader of this team. Against Frosinone, he literally dragged the team. He is its driving force, a point of reference,” commented former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli before making his point.”Dusan is a sensitive boy. He has a fire burning inside him and he would destroy everything for the sake of himself and the team. But above all, he is hard on himself and with how his teammates and the environment see him. If he feels trust and respect, he will be excited.”9 goals and 2 assist in 2024, – Vlahovic has truly impressed lately and is experiencing his best period at Juventus ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/604PXN9QqJ— Morten Bering (@morten_bering) February 26, 2024 And he will return that trust, Prandelli believes.”He knows when to stop, when to move forward. He reads the situation, he can play alone, next to someone in the attack… Others should think a little more about how to play for him, because Dušan needs the ball in space, in the run, he is a bomber”.In the Italian language, a bomber is a synonym for a prolific shooter, and Vlahović really is. He scored the mentioned nine goals from only 13 shots on goal. For fans of statistics and the xG parameter – the expected number of goals – let’s also say that the statistics expected 5.68 of Dušan’s goals, not nine.The perfect goal machine. Finally got used to the Turin climate. And it seems that this season he could finally do in Juventus what he was able to do twice in Florence: pass the 20-goal mark.Lukaku who?##NAJAVA_MECA_7899399##
