Nick Woltemade had the best night of his Juventus career at the Estadio Balaídos. A 2-1 comeback win — Hugo Alvarez’s opener eventually answered by Woltemade’s equaliser and then Kolo Muani’s injury-time winner — and a performance that, for the first time since the opening-night goal against NEC, gave a genuine sense of what the German could become in this system. He spoke to Sky Sport immediately after the final whistle with the straightforwardness that has been one of his most consistently appealing qualities since arriving in Turin.
“This Was My Best Match for Juventus — I Can Do More, But I’m Happy for the Goal”
On his own performance: “I think tonight I played my best match for Juventus. I did good things — I can do better — but I am happy for the goal, which gives confidence. I want to keep pushing.” The goal itself — his first on open play in Juventus colours — is precisely what Llorente, Kovačević, and Fonseca all identified as the thing an attacking player needs most to break a difficult spell: a goal that confirms to the body and the mind that the ability is real, the chance will come, and the confidence is justified. The Celta Vigo goal may prove to be the moment from which the Woltemade story at Juventus truly begins.
“Playing With Kolo Is Good for Both of Us — When Two Strikers Are On, the Defence Can Only Concentrate on One”
On the two-striker combination that has now produced goals in two consecutive matches: “Do I like playing with him? Yes — I like playing with Kolo Muani. In general, when two attackers are on the pitch, the defence can only concentrate on one. Tonight we did really well and he scored for the second match in a row.” The tactical explanation mirrors Kolo Muani’s own post-Cagliari analysis — the liberation each creates for the other — and adds the specific observation about defensive concentration: a back two forced to deal with both Woltemade’s 198cm aerial threat and Kolo Muani’s movement and finishing ability cannot fully suppress either.
“Capello Told Spalletti Before the Match That We Should Play Together — But I’m Not the Manager”
The most revealing moment of the interview is the Capello detail — and Woltemade’s response to it. Asked whether he was aware that Fabio Capello, apparently present in the pre-match environment or speaking publicly in Sky’s pre-match coverage, had told Spalletti directly that the two strikers should play together, Woltemade’s answer is a study in diplomatic maturity: “Yes — but I’m not the manager. I have trust in him. I think that if we keep scoring goals, this can only help us.” It is the ideal answer: acknowledging the suggestion, reaffirming his faith in the person responsible for making the decision, and implicitly making the case for the partnership through results rather than advocacy.
Two wins from two in the Europa League. Two consecutive games in which the Woltemade-Kolo Muani combination has produced the decisive goals. The conversation about whether they should start together in Serie A — against Lazio on Saturday — now has its most powerful possible evidence base.
