Dybala was extraordinary - Allegri praises Juventus striker after Barcelona double

Chris Myson

Dybala was extraordinary - Allegri praises Juventus striker after Barcelona double image

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri labelled Paulo Dybala's performance against Barcelona as 'extraordinary' after the striker scored twice in a 3-0 win.

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Dybala delivered a clinical display in front of goal as Juventus thrashed Luis Enrique's side in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

And, while Allegri was keen to spread the praise around his whole team, he acknowledged the quality of Dybala's efforts against Barca.

Allegri said: "Dybala showed his quality with an extraordinary performance. He is a great player and he was magnificent. His finishing was great.

Paulo Dybala goals for Juventus

Paulo Dybala's magnificent double against FC Barcelona

Posted by Goal.com on Wednesday, 12 April 2017

"But I am happy for him as I am for all the players. I'm delighted with the whole lot of them because they really were superb.

"We have strength throughout the squad and that is especially important in this period with all the games we have to play one after another. They all have a big part to play.

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"We have done exactly what we were looking to do. We have shown people that we can hold our own in games like this."

Meanwhile, the Juve coach is now set to make major changes to his starting line-up for the Serie A match at Pescara on Saturday.

The top-flight leaders are away to bottom-of-the-table Pescara in a key match, with Roma sitting only six points behind them with seven matches to play in the Scudetto race.

But, with a trip to Camp Nou coming up next Wednesday and Juve on the brink of a Champions League semi-final spot, Allegri is ready to prioritise Europe.

"The lads entertained everyone in the stadium and got a good result," Allegri said.

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"There were a lot of expectations around this side to see if they were up to a quarter-final. It was a psychological test and we got a big result.

Massimiliano Allegri Juventus Barcelona UEFA Champions League 04112017

"But there are 45 days to the end of the season. Right now we haven't won the Scudetto, Coppa Italia or reached the Champions League semi-final.

"We must not get distracted from the reality of the situation because now we have to prepare for Pescara and ensure we win the Scudetto.

"Fortunately I have a big squad and the decisive figures may well be those who didn't play this game.

"Barcelona put six past Paris Saint-Germain, so we know we have a difficult task in the second leg.

"This game must give us more confidence and awareness of what this squad can achieve. It is right to be happy with what we have done, but also to keep our feet on the ground and a sense of balance, as we have achieved nothing yet."

 

Juve's last Champions League triumph came in 1996 and they have since lost in four finals, most recently in 2015 against Barcelona.

Chris Myson