Paulo Dybala believes Cristiano Ronaldo can inspire Juventus to Champions League glory

Tom Biggs 15:47 19/11/2018
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  • Everyone has their favourite. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a coach or a pundit, you’re either Team Messi or Team Cristiano.

    The debate as to who is the best has rumbled on for more than a decade, but perhaps there are a select few who can truly judge whether Messi or Ronaldo is the greatest player of their generation.

    Getting them to reveal where their loyalties lie may not be easy, for one reason or another. Just 12 players have had the opportunity to train and play alongside both stars at some stage during their career.

    Gerard Pique and Henrik Larsson are the only two to have played with both at club level, while Carlos Tevez, Gabriel Heinze, Ezequiel Garay, Fernando Gago, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria have all played with Ronaldo at either Manchester United or Real Madrid, and Messi for Argentina. Deco, Andre Gomes and Nelson Semedo are the three players to have featured alongside Ronaldo for Portugal and Messi at Barcelona.

    The newest member of that fortunate group is Paulo Dybala, who having played with Messi on the international stage, is now making the most of the chance to work with Ronaldo at club level, following the Portugal star’s move to Juventus in the summer.

    Paulo Dybala is one of very few players to have played with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

    Paulo Dybala is one of very few players to have played with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

    As recently as September, Dybala was asked which player was best, and unsurprisingly – given his current situation – he wasn’t giving anything away.

    “Between him [Ronaldo] and Messi there are no differences, they are too phenomenal. I’m lucky to play and learn from both,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “Messi and Ronaldo should be getting worse (for age reasons), but instead they are still doing extraordinary things. They are not normal. My objective is to be the best of the humans.”

    And while Dybala may feel blessed to have had the opportunity to play and work alongside both players, there has long been the argument his opportunities for Argentina have been hindered by the presence of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi.

    The stats suggest that may well be the case. Dybala, who turned 25 last week, has won just 16 caps for his country since making his debut in 2015 and is yet to score an international goal.

    Of those 16 caps, just four of them have come when starting a game alongside Messi, with two late substitute appearances the only other occasions in which Messi and Dybala have shared the field.

    The same can’t be said for Dybala and Ronaldo, who have formed an excellent partnership for Juventus since the latter’s move to Turin in the summer.

    Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo have impressed together at Juventus

    Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo have impressed together at Juventus

    Many wondered how Max Allegri would build his team around the former Real Madrid star, and whether Dybala would be one of those affected, but with just one defeat in all competitions so far this season, and a combined total of 15 goals scored between Ronaldo and Dybala, it’s fair to say the Juventus boss is getting the best out of both.

    Speaking at the launch of adidas’ new COPA 19+ in Milan, Dybala told Sport360 about the impact Ronaldo has had at Juventus.

    “Since Cristiano has arrived, we have always tried to work together and tried to be comfortable with one another,” he explained.

    “I think we have been doing it well. We have scored really important goals for Juventus together, but I think the whole team is important and I think we all have to know each other well.

    “Cristiano arrived only recently, but we all know the impact that he has on everyone and we knew his style from before. We know how he plays and how he works.”

    Dybala wore a special edition version of the new COPA 19+ boots for the first time in Juventus’ only defeat of the season so far, a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League.

    After Dybala scored the only goal of the game in the 1-0 win at Old Trafford two weeks previous, it was Ronaldo who stepped up on this occasion, netting his first-ever Champions League goal for Juventus against his former club.

    Despite the defeat, the Serie A champions remain on course to finish top of Group H and secure progress to the knockout stages, and having reached two European finals in the last four seasons, Juventus are desperate to get their hands on a trophy they last won in 1996.

    Can the arrival of Ronaldo – who has won the Champions League five times already in his remarkable career – aid the Old Lady’s hopes this time around?

    “Of course with the arrival of Cristiano it is a test to everyone, because of what he signifies and everything that he has achieved,” said Dybala.

    “I believe in previous years we have proven that we are capable of winning the Champions League, but we have had a bit of bad luck too, especially with what happened last year against [Real] Madrid.

    Juventus were knocked out of the Champions League by a Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid last season

    Juventus were knocked out of the Champions League by a Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid last season

    “Also, we got to the quarter-finals in three of the previous years, but we haven’t had the luck of winning the competition. Hopefully we can do that this season.”

    Should he win the Champions League alongside Ronaldo this season, we may just see Dybala move himself into the Team Cristiano camp.

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