Dybala leads Juventus past Barca
TURIN, ITALY— Paulo Dybala said last week he doesn’t want to be known as the new Lionel Messi. On Tuesday, the Argentine proved he can be just as good as his more famous compatriot, scoring two goals as Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Dybala, who was given a standing ovation when he was substituted nine minutes from time, broke the deadlock in the seventh minute and doubled his tally in the 22nd. Giorgio Chiellini added the third.
“I’m really happy because since I was a kid I wanted to experience these moments,” said Dybala, 23. “It’s one of my best nights, but we mustn’t ruin it next Wednesday.”
The result will give Juventus plenty of confidence heading into the second leg on April 19, but it will be wary of another fantastic comeback from Messi’s Barcelona, which beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-1in its last match to become the first team to overturn a 4-0 first-leg loss in the history of the competition.
“The sensation is that we are living through another nightmare,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “We gave away two goals in the first half and against a team like Juventus you pay for it. As a coach it’s very difficult to explain, Juventus was superior to us in every way. I’m responsible 101 per cent ... (and) I don’t want to talk about a comeback.”
But he added: “Certainly, if we get back to our level we can score four goals against anyone.”
The other first-leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Monaco was called off and rescheduled for Wednesday after three explosions went off near the German team’s bus as it set off for the match, injuring defender Marc Bartra.