Nick Woltemade's Juventus Breakthrough: A Turning Point in Attack
Nick Woltemade had barely finished listening to his coach’s challenge when he finally answered it on the pitch.
On the eve of Juventus’ 5-0 Europa League demolition of NEC Nijmegen, Luciano Spalletti had been blunt about his new striker. Honest, almost cold. But there was a clear plan behind it.
“He was not particularly fit when he arrived. He still needs to be built up. We have to let him play. He and Kolo Muani can also play together,” Spalletti said before kick-off, then added the key line: “But during the game I need a real alternative in attack.”
A few hours later, both of his centre-forwards had scored their first goals of the season.
Woltemade, starting for the first time since his summer loan from Newcastle United, buried a penalty to make it 3-0. Randal Kolo Muani, sent on from the bench, added the fifth. Two strikers under pressure, two goals, one satisfied coach.
A gesture, a penalty, and a release
For Woltemade, this was more than a routine spot-kick. It felt like a small turning point.
Italian papers had torn into the 24-year-old after Juve’s first defeat of the season, the 3-2 loss to US Sassuolo. La Gazzetta dello Sport summed up the mood harshly: “He still has a lot to learn and must get used to the level of the Italian league.”
So when the penalty came in the 35th minute against Nijmegen, there was a brief pause. Who would take it?
Nico Gonzalez made the decision for everyone. The Argentinian, who once wore the VfB Stuttgart shirt, picked up the ball, pressed it firmly into Woltemade’s hands and gave him a playful ruffle of the hair. No debate. No drama. Just a clear message: this one is yours.
From the touchline, Spalletti applauded. The rest of the team gathered around the German after he converted. It was the kind of small, visible act of trust that can change a player’s mood in a single night.
Woltemade stayed on for 83 minutes, a clear step forward after Spalletti had recently suggested his role would remain that of a substitute until his fitness improved. This time, the coach kept him on, and the striker used the minutes to edge closer to the level Juve demand, with Atalanta Bergamo looming on Sunday.
From Newcastle frustration to Juve opportunity
This goal also arrives at a curious moment in Woltemade’s international career.
On the very day he scored his first Juventus goal, Jürgen Klopp named him in Germany’s second squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Serbia (1 October) and Greece (4 October). A quiet nod of confidence from the new Bundestrainer, even as Woltemade is still fighting for rhythm at club level.
He had already been part of Julian Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad, but his record fee of more than 75 million euros at Newcastle United brought surprisingly little playing time. The move never really settled. Even the appointment of German coach Matthias Jaissle at the Magpies did not improve his status, despite Woltemade having previously spoken with VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß about his situation.
The solution was a reset. A loan to Juventus. A new league. A demanding coach. And now, finally, a first goal.
Spalletti’s next move
Spalletti suddenly has options. Real ones.
He had spoken before the Nijmegen game about wanting “a real alternative in attack.” Now he has two forwards who have just broken their scoring duck in the same night. The temptation is obvious: start Woltemade and Kolo Muani together and see what that partnership looks like from the first whistle.
He could do that as early as the Atalanta match. Or he could bank this performance, ride out the XXL international break and send Woltemade away with Germany to gather even more confidence before reshaping his attack.
Either way, the narrative around the tall German has shifted. From questions about fitness and criticism in the press to a goal, a long outing, and a public show of faith from both club and country.
The next step is no longer about whether he belongs at this level. It’s about how quickly he can turn one Europa League night into a permanent place in Juventus’ starting XI.
