David or Openda: Who should lead the line for Juventus against Napoli? | OneFootball

Juventus striker Lois Openda could be set to replace fellow summer signing Jonathan David in the starting lineup against Napoli.

The two attackers have been enduring almost identical paths since arriving in Turin. Neither has been able to deliver in front of goal since the start of the season, but they both managed to score against Bodo/Glimt in last week’s Champions League contest.

With Dusan Vlahovic ruled out for several months due to a high-grade muscle injury, Luciano Spalletti is forced to give the struggling duo additional playing time, even though fielding Kenan Yildiz as a false 9 has emerged as an alternative option.

Luciano Spalletti must choose between Jonathan David & Lois Openda

On Tuesday, David got the nod in the Coppa Italia Round 16 against Udinese, while Openda replaced him in the closing stages of the match.

The Old Lady prevailed by two unanswered goals, but ironically, the two strikers saw their goals disallowed for marginal offside positions.

Jonathan David (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

But while some will argue that David has stolen a march on Openda with his much-improved display, Spalletti might have other plans in mind.

Although it remains too early to predict Sunday’s starting lineup against Napoli, a clue can be found in a report published by La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this week.

Why Openda could be more useful for Juventus against Napoli

As the pink newspaper revealed, Spalletti considers David a classic No.9 capable of inflicting damage in the box. Therefore, the Canadian’s traits are particularly useful against smaller opposition in Serie A, who tend to deploy low defensive blocks.

On the other hand, Openda is a pacey attacker who thrives in space. This renders him more dangerous against bigger opponents, or generally clubs that like to push forward and leave acres of space at the back.

Thus, since Napoli will be urged forward by the Stadio Maradona crowd this weekend, the former RB Leipzig star could be the right man to lead Juve’s charge on the counter.