Juventus face Lazio on Sunday 18 October at 20.45 in the seventh round of Serie A, and Luciano Spalletti is still settling on the shape of his attack. The likeliest call is Randal Kolo Muani through the middle, with Weston McKennie and Nico González behind him. Nick Woltemade is more likely to be used as an option off the bench than alongside Kolo Muani from the first minute.
Kolo Muani keeps pressing the case
The selection lean is backed by output. Kolo Muani has 3 goals and 2 assists across the league and the Europa League, and his 591 minutes across those competitions show why he is in the frame for a bigger role. He also scored against Cagliari and Celta Vigo, with both goals described as decisive.
Spalletti echoed that line in comments to TuttoMercatoWeb, in comments translated from Italian: "Juventus is preparing for the clash against Lazio: Kolo Muani wants to confirm himself after the latest goals, while Spalletti evaluates the lineup choices". Edon Zhegrova has also pushed for a start, which is another reason the front line looks fluid rather than fixed.
Lazio's form and Juventus' rotation
Lazio arrive unbeaten in Serie A, with 5 wins and 1 draw after 6 matches. They have 16 points from six matchdays, and only 4 league goals conceded, so this is not the sort of opponent that rewards a careless attacking gamble.
That is why the call around Woltemade matters. He has only 4 Serie A appearances for Juventus, even if his 7.57 Europa League rating suggests he can make an impact when used. Spalletti can still change the game from the bench, but the evidence points to Kolo Muani starting as the main reference and Woltemade waiting for the match to open up.
Sunday's meeting at 20.45 should show whether Juventus keep the same front-line balance or use a different attacking combination, but the first choice remains clear enough: Kolo Muani is the likelier starter for Juventus vs Lazio.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
