05 December 2015
A huge hand in the game’s opening goal, a strike of his own of remarkable quality and another tireless performance to boot; it’s fair to say that there were plenty of positives for Paulo Dybala on Friday night at the Stadio Olimpico.
Such is the character of the young Argentine, however, Dybala was quick to stress in his post-match interview for the Sky cameras that his Bianconero adventure is only just kicking off.
"When I arrived I thought I would be playing as a centre-forward like I had done at Palermo. The boss asked me instead to operate a little deeper and get involved in the play as much as possible.
"I’ve always looked to perform without thinking about pressure or anything other than the game. My only goal is to contribute to the team, do my best and learn from my mistakes. All I want to do is win football matches. I’m very happy here, Juventus have helped me get into the Argentinian national team. For that, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Equally, Juventus fans could not have demanded more of their new striker in recent weeks, whose superb left-footed half-volley was his eighth strike of the season in all competitions since joining from Palermo last summer, even if he would admit that his first touch to set it up was not entirely what he had intended.
"I actually wanted to take a better first touch! The ball bounced up, came off my knee and then fell perfectly for me to shoot. When the chance was there, I didn’t think twice about taking it.”
Perhaps the most positive thing to be drawn from Juve’s six-match winning run would not only be Dybala’s recent telling contributions in the final third but also the Argentine’s burgeoning partnership with fellow frontman Mario Mandzukic, whose square pass it was that found Dybala in space on the edge of the Lazio box moments before his show-stopping effort.
"We’re getting to understand each other better with every match and I’m starting to learn where he wants the ball and when. Mario’s physical attributes are crucial, he occupies defenders and drags them out of position for me to attack the spaces that are left behind.
“I’m working hard to improve all the time and with the support of my team-mates and the coach, that task is made so much easier.”
