Legendary striker Hristo Stoichkov believes Dusan Vlahovic will return to scoring goals soon, and it will be hell for the opposition. The Bulgarian legend was speaking with Tuttosport and weighed in on the upcoming Derby D’Italia, as well as the struggles that Vlahovic is facing at present:
Inter and Juve are running away at the top of the table….
“Next Sunday’s direct clash in Turin between the top two in the class, the derby d’Italia as you call it, could be decisive.”
Your prediction?
“I say 2-2. Juventus has an airtight defence this year and plays more offensively at home. Allegri has sorted things out after two very tough seasons. I think the Bianconeri will attack and the Nerazzurri will be ready to strike on the counter-attack. Lautaro Martínez is unleashed … “.
Vlahovic?
“Vlahovic is a centre forward who has everything, starting with his imposing build. And he has also been conditioned by physical problems such as pubalgia and lumbago. It seems to me that he doesn’t receive the same balls he did when he was in Florence… Dusan, however, is a Balkan like me: if he doesn’t score he goes into paranoia just like it used to happen to me. My head used to melt… I used to go to Cruijff and say: coach, you’d better leave me out because I’m too nervous… I am convinced that when Vlahovic returns to scoring goals, it’s going to be hell for the opposing defenders… “.
Jude Bellingham Golden Boy 2023: do you agree with the 50 jurors of Tuttosport who voted for him ?
‘No.
Why?
“I do not dispute the Englishman’s value, he is one of the strongest talents in the world: he has a lot of class and a lot of brains, for me he is a ‘mix’ between Laudrup, Kaká and the first Pogba. The future is his. He will compete with Mbappé and Haaland in the race for the next Ballon d’Or. But I would like to know what he won in this 2023 between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. Nothing… “.
But since being signed by the ‘blancos’ in the summer he has already scored 13 goals plus 3 assists in 14 games. A monstrous performance for a 20-year-old who, moreover, is not a striker but an offensive midfielder.
“He’s been doing it for three months… And what success did all these goals bring Real Madrid? You know what my friend Mourinho would say about ‘tituli’…. Shall we then talk about how the last Bundesliga ended? Borussia Dortmund had a two-point lead over Bayern with 90 minutes to go in the league. They were playing at home against Mainz while the Bavarians were away at Cologne. What happened with 5’ to go? Tuchel inserted Musiala who in the closing stages signed the 3-2 goal for Bayern while Borussia went no further than 2-2 at home and ‘adiós’ title on goal difference… “.
So who would you have awarded the Golden Boy to?
“Since Gavi, the defending champion, was ineligible by regulation, I would have awarded Musiala or Balde, winner of La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona.
What do you think of Lamine Yamal, the 16-year-old prodigy that Xavi and Luis Enrique have already launched in Barça and Spain?
“Sometimes irrepressible with his dribbling. But he has to grow a lot tactically. If he gets doubled up he fumbles the ball. It would take a coach like Cruijff to make him mature. But there is no Cruijff today. Not even the great Guardiola or other top players like Klopp and Ancelotti are like Johan… “.
