Dybala, Messi renew their ‘rivalry’ in Turin

Barca need only a draw to advance

TURIN, Italy, Nov 21, (AFP): Juventus star Paulo Dybala has rediscovered his scoring form just in time as he renews his rivalry with fellow Argentina Lionel Messi in Wednesday’s Champions League clash

with Barcelona.

The 30-year-old Messi scored two goals to help Barcelona to a comfortable 3-0 win over Juventus, last season’s finalists, at the Nou Camp in September.

Messi then scored a hat-trick in Ecuador to carry Argentina through to the 2018 World Cup.

Dybala was on the substitute’s bench in Quito but the 24-year-old will be on the field in Turin where a win will ensure Juventus reaches the knockout rounds.

Barcelona lead Group D by three points with two rounds to go, and Ernesto Valverde’s side need only a draw to advance as group winners.

Dybala made a record-setting start to the Serie A season with 10 goals in six games before suffering a dip in form.

He got back on the scoresheet in the final seconds of Sunday’s 3-2 loss at Sampdoria, to bring his tally to 12 goals in 13 games.

Since arriving in Turin from Palermo in 2015, the player dubbed “The Jewel” has scored 56 goals in 112 games. But he has yet to open his

This combination of pictures created on Nov 21, shows a file photo taken on April 11, 2017 of Barcelona’s forward Lionel Messi (left), from Argentina during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg football match Juventus vs Barcelona, on April 11, 2017 at the Juventus Stadium in Turin. And a file photo taken on Sept 27, 2017 shows Juventus’ forward from Argentina Paulo Dybala during the UEFA Champion’s League Group D football match Juventus vs Olympiacos on Sept 27, 2017 at the Juventus

Stadium in Turin. (AFP)