Kenan Yildiz is experiencing a dip in form, and Luciano Spalletti is considering new solutions to help his number 10 rediscover his best level, starting with Juventus’ clash against Como.
The Turkish forward remains central to Juventus’ project and is still regarded as the team’s brightest talent, but his recent performances have lacked the spark that lit up the first part of his season. IlBianconero report how the drop was particularly evident in the Champions League tie against Galatasaray, where he looked less sharp and struggled to influence the game as he usually does. Given how heavily he has been relied upon so far, a slight downturn always seemed likely at some point.
Yildiz has now gone five matches without a goal or assist since his last strike, the decisive second goal against Napoli on 25 January. In that period he has featured against Monaco, Parma, Lazio, Inter and Galatasaray, missing only the Coppa Italia defeat to Atalanta. Of those outings as a starter, he only truly resembled his usual self against Lazio, when he was still able to create danger even if the final product was lacking.
Part of the issue lies in workload and responsibility. Yildiz has played over 90 per cent of Juventus’ available minutes this season, placing him among the most used players in the squad. For an attacker of his profile, those minutes are especially demanding: his game is based on dribbling, constant movement and one‑on‑one situations, while he is also repeatedly asked to help out defensively. Opponents are now doubling up on him almost every time he receives the ball, and he is often expected to unlock tight situations on his own. All of this is beginning to show in his displays, where he appears more fatigued and less consistently dangerous, regardless of goals or assists.
After the defeat in Istanbul, Spalletti played down concerns about a physical problem, insisting Yildiz was fine despite taking some early knocks. More revealing, however, was his admission that the youngster is carrying “responsibilities and workload” and that something may need to change because the team has been struggling. That “something” could be tactical as well as mental. Spalletti’s aim is to lighten Yildiz’s burden: ensuring he is no longer eternally isolated on the left, constantly facing two defenders, and adjusting his tasks to make better use of his qualities.
Several options are on the table. One is to move him into more central areas, closer to goal, where he can act either as a second striker or as a pure creator between the lines rather than a wide playmaker starting every action from deep. Another is to tweak the attacking structure so that team‑mates occupy more threatening positions, drawing away some of the defensive attention that currently converges on him. At Continassa, the staff are working on the best way to bring back the most incisive version of Yildiz without overburdening him.
The simplest solution would appear to be rest, perhaps leaving him on the bench against Como to allow him to recharge both physically and mentally. Yet that is not the route Spalletti seems inclined to take. The match is too important in the race for the top four and in breaking Juventus’ negative run. Jeremie Boga, his most natural alternative on that flank, is not considered ready to start or to sustain more than an hour at high intensity. For that reason, Yildiz is again expected to be in the starting XI, with his coach determined to help him find his rhythm on the pitch rather than from the sidelines. Even below peak condition, his influence on the team remains too great to ignore.
