Milan and Juventus: Without a "Number 9," What's the Purpose of Going to the Champions League?

The 0-0 draw early this morning satisfied both Milan and Juventus in their task of securing Champions League qualification, but the manner in which they earned the point raises a question: Playing like this, are they entering the Champions League merely for financial goals rather than a desire to elevate their stature?

The most anticipated clash of Serie A's 34th round ultimately turned into a dull spectacle. There was one instance where the ball hit Milan's net but was ruled invalid, and another that rattled Juventus's crossbar, but throughout the 90 minutes at San Siro, the pace was lethargic and boring.

No flour, no paste

Actually, the course and outcome of the match were predicted beforehand. Roma and Como's earlier wins narrowing the gap, instead of pushing Milan and Juventus to seek victory to relieve pressure from losing their positions, made both teams cautious. Fear of losing led them to play overly calculated, unwilling to take risks, prioritizing safety above all. The play was too simple, too slow, too predictable, and lacked "fire."

But another undeniable reality is that even if Milan and Juventus wanted to win, they lacked the capability to score and secure three points in this match. The thirst for strikers who know how to score has plagued both teams since the start of the season. At Milan, the trio Gimenez (0) - Nkunku (5) - Fullkrug (1) scored only 6 goals combined in Serie A this season. Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic are better with 17 goals combined, but they are not true forwards. At Juventus, Kenan Yildiz is the top scorer with 10 goals, but he is a midfielder, while the forwards Vlahovic (3) - David (6) - Openda (1) scored exactly 10 goals total. If the situation doesn't improve in the last four rounds, this will be the first time since the 1998-99 season that neither Milan nor Juventus have a player scoring more than 10 goals.

But notably, both Milan and Juventus have not hesitated to spend on their attack. Juventus spent over 100 million euros on transfer fees and tens of millions on salaries to bring in names like Lois Openda (44 million euros) or Jonathan David (salary 6 million euros/year). Milan also invested heavily in Santi Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku, yet the returns are nearly zero. This paradox shows the issue isn't necessarily the players' talent but the mismanagement of personnel. Milan's coach Max Allegri's excessive loyalty to a 1-0 win philosophy isolates the forwards, while Luciano Spalletti at Juventus is ineffective in harnessing the strikers' abilities.

What hope in the Champions League?

Securing a Top 4 position to ensure Champions League revenue is a financially vital goal for both clubs. But if they aim for that prestigious competition solely for money without considering rebuilding their own image and Italian football's reputation, fielding attacks that cannot score and a fear-of-loss mindset as they do now, they will soon become "point banks" for Europe's giants.

In the Champions League, where the smallest mistakes are punished and all-out attacking play reigns, the extreme pragmatism of Milan or Juventus will find no stage. If you don't score, you fail. If you don't play for victory, you are eliminated. Going to the Champions League just to "collect prize money" without professional competitiveness insults the stature of Italy's two most traditional clubs.

There will be no hope without thorough reform in both squad and football philosophy, which increasingly lag while Europe's overall level advances relentlessly. Summer 2026 will be a crucial moment for Milan and Juve to show their direction. It's not just about hunting for high-class "Number 9s," "killers" capable of scoring 20 goals per season—items increasingly scarce and expensive—but more importantly, a change in playing philosophy to avoid further decline. Italian football's heavy failures in European cups and the 2026 World Cup qualifiers have raised alarms to the highest level.

If they don't solve the "no Number 9" problem, the revival dreams of both Rossoneri and Bianconeri will forever remain bland 0-0 draws and Champions League tickets laden with commercial weight.