Dybala must take his chance to step out of the shadows of Messi and Ronaldo and recapture his best form
Dybala has struggled all season to recapture his best form, and recently has found himself on the fringes of the Juventus first team. In fact since the start of February he has only started 3 times, with Federico Bernardeschi often being preferred to him in the starting line-up. He has only managed to find the net 4 times all season in Serie A, and there has been a lot of speculation linking him to a move away from the club in the summer. Following the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Dybala has often found himself pushed wide to accommodate the Portuguese striker, and Dybala has made no secret of his desire to play through the middle.
Meanwhile his stock has also fallen with the national team, with Lauturo Martinez having not only taken his place in the team, but also seemingly in the Argentinian people’s hopes as the answer to the question of who will take over from Messi when he retires. Dybala was once the golden boy of Argentinian football, and seen as the natural heir to Messi’s throne, but after a series of disappointing performances for the national team, including only one goal since his debut in 2015, fans appear to be losing faith and patience with the 25 year old.
However all that can change now, as he is given opportunities to prove doubters at both club and international level wrong. Tonight he will take to the field in the famous light-blue and white stripes of Argentina, to lead the line alongside Martinez, as Argentina fans get a glimpse into what the future might look like. With Messi suffering from a pelvic injury, Dybala has a golden opportunity to shake off his recent malaise and find some form. At club level the injury to Ronaldo presents a massive chance for him to turn his season around. With the timeframe of Ronaldo’s injury still unknown, there is a chance the Juventus talisman may miss the Champions League tie with Ajax in April. The Champions League has been the scene of Dybala’s finest form this season, scoring 5 times in the group stage, and notably his best performance came when Ronaldo was banned.
Whether he has the talent to perform at the highest level has never been in question, but over the next few weeks, we may get an insight into his mentality and desire to perform on the biggest stages.