Juventus boss Max Allegri has confirmed that Paulo Dybala will face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. “He can give us a big hand.”
Dybala has scored five goals in his last five Champions League appearances for Juve, and Allegri backed the Argentine to make a similar impact against Atleti.
“Tomorrow Dybala will play. That makes you [journalists] happy so I can go now, right?” the Coach joked at a Press conference.
“He won’t play because of his goal last Friday but rather because of his overall performance. I think it’ll be a game where he can give us a big hand.
“He’s in tip-top condition, so it’s right he plays. A last-16 tie awaits us. We’ve competed at a high level for the last four years and tomorrow’s game is important, like it has been in previous years.
“Atletico are organized and their strength lies in the defensive phase. The team are growing physically, psychologically and technically.
“Having said that, we must go on. We’re entering the most important part of the season. We have to play a fair game, knowing that we’re facing a compact team, who take advantage of set-pieces and have achieved important results in Europe.
“The Champions League isn’t an obligation, rather it’s an objective, which often also depends on incidents that go for or against you.
“Having Cristiano is an advantage, but it’s not enough. The whole team must put in important performances.
“Simeone’s done very well to give a great mentality to Atletico, and that’s how his team have achieved great results.
“Alvaro Morata grew a lot here, plus he’s a very dangerous player. Tomorrow we must try to control the match and be wary of the counterattack.”