Juventus Do Not Fear Barcelona: Paulo Dybala
Apr 10, 2017 at 7:27 PM
A visit to Turin would be tricky for Barcelona when they face Italian champions Juventus on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of Champions League. The Catalan club are not dominant since the start of the season and have suffered a 2-0 defeat to Malaga on weekend.
Meanwhile, Juventus have managed yet another impressive 2-0 win over Chievo which would be massive for their confidence ahead of the stern test facing them. Juventus midfielder Paulo Dybala has revealed that he is happy ahead of the game and feels the club are in the best form of the season ahead of the game.
“Happy. After the injury and losing out on games with the national team, I had a good performance on Saturday. I played for 90 minutes which gave me confidence and put me in good shape for the Barcelona game. I think the match comes at the right time because we’re playing better than them.”
“We are in our best moment of the season. That’s what I see after eliminating Napoli in the Coppa Italia and having won against Chievo and Sampdoria in Serie A. Games like Barcelona are motivational for us.”
The talented young forward has also insisted that Juventus should not fear Barcelona despite the Spanish giants winning 6-1 to overturn 4-0 deficit against PSG.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of anything. Respect, yes, but not fear. This is the best time to confront Barcelona. They came back against Paris Saint-Germain, but PSG didn’t play that match as they should. The 6-1 serves as a lesson to everyone, and I say it before playing the first leg against them.”
Dybala has asked people to stop comparing himself to Messi as he is considered as the next big thing in Argentine football both by fans and pundits alike.
“People have to know that I am not Messi. I am Dybala and I want to only be Dybala, although I understand that there are comparisons. There’s only one Messi, as there was only one Maradona. You can’t replace players like them and it’s a huge burden that people have expectations about me. I will try to give maximum effort in every game – including those that Leo can’t play for the national team.”
Speaking on his friendship with Dani Alves, he said: “I have a good friendship with him, we always talk a lot. I ask him things about Barcelona because he obviously knows them very well and I always try to listen to him, lean on him. He has a great right foot and plays in an area that works for me. Remember, he already gave so many assists to Messi.”
On Juventus’ 47 game unbeaten run at home, Dybala credited fans as he said: “Yes, but it’s also about people. The stadium is always full, whether in the league or cup, and the opponent gets nervous when we’re on top and there’s a lot of noise in the stands.”