by sportswriter Wei Hua

BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Maybe not many people had expected that Juventus' new signing Randal Kolo Muani would settle in so quickly.

The Paris Saint-Germain outcast has become a hero at the Allianz Stadium, scoring five goals in his first three appearances for the Old Lady, including a brace in a 2-1 victory over Como in Serie A on Friday.

But another issue has arisen, as his stellar performances came at the expense of fellow center-forward Dusan Vlahovic, whose playing time has dipped recently. Can the pair start together in Thiago Motta's system?

Kolo Muani arrived at Juve in January on loan until the end of the season. The transfer was rooted in Juve's limited options in attack, as Arkadiusz Milik's long-term injury had left Vlahovic as the club's only available center-forward, meaning midfielders Nicolas Gonzalez or Teun Koopmeiners were occasionally obliged to fill in up front.

Meanwhile, Kolo Muani had also struggled for minutes at PSG, making just two starts for the French Ligue 1 side in 14 appearances across all competitions this season.

But the Frenchman's season has been transformed in Turin, as he followed Carlos Tevez to become another player to score in each of his first two appearances in the Juventus shirt, and the first Juve player in over 30 years to get on the scoreboard in each of his first three appearances.

Kolo Muani's merits seemingly tick every box for Motta. In Friday's fixture, the 26-year-old showed his physical qualities by outpacing his marker to blast into the roof of the net, and kept his composure to convert a penalty in the dying minutes. He even got the rub of the green when he deflected Timothy Weah's strike in Juve's 4-1 win over Empoli.

With Kolo Muani continuing to shine, Vlahovic has seemingly dropped down the pecking order, as the team's current top scorer has been benched for all Serie A matches since Muani's arrival, and his sole start was largely due to Kolo Muani being cup-tied in the UEFA Champions League.

Perhaps it is not necessary for Motta to sacrifice Vlahovic for the new signing. The former Bologna tactician prefers a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, and Kolo Muani can cover several roles on the forward line, with the ability to move to either side to play as a winger, making room for traditional target man Vlahovic to win aerial duels and hold up play.

In Juve's victory over Empoli, Vlahovic made his presence felt quickly after being brought on with Kolo Muani on the pitch, riding two challenges before releasing a rocket into the corner.

However, if Motta starts the pair in a 4-3-3 system, it will surely push one of the team's regular wingers, Kenan Yildiz and Gonzalez, to the bench. If Motta opts for 4-4-2 or 4-2-4, it may cause an imbalance in midfield, as one of the holding midfielders must be dropped, with captain Manuel Locatelli irreplaceable.

Motta has also been coy on the possibility of starting the pair simultaneously. "We are a team, and the most important thing is the collective. Balance is needed, and the team must function well in both phases," he was quoted as saying.

Given it is a "dry" loan, Kolo Muani is set to return to PSG at the end of the season, despite the rumors that Juve has begun negotiations to make the move permanent. Some observers joked that Kolo Muani's outstanding performances have already put him out of Juve's reach.

Finally, Vlahovic's exit from Juventus remains on the cards, as he enters the last 12 months of his contract next season, with an extension seemingly a long way from being agreed. If no new deal is forthcoming, Juventus will have to sell Vlahovic in the summer to avoid seeing him leave for free in 2026 - but the Serbian's market value will be harmed if he makes only sporadic appearances. Enditem

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