Juventus vs. Verona: Paulo Dybala can send a message on Sunday

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala could make his first start of the 2020-2021 season against Verona.

On Sunday night at the Allianz Stadium, Juventus will look to get their first win in Serie A since Matchday 1 when they made short work of Claudio Ranieri’s Sampdoria. Hellas Verona sit just one point behind the Bianconeri in the league table, so they won’t be the easiest of opponents for Andrea Pirlo’s men.

That said, Juve are heavy favorites, and even though Cristiano Ronaldo and Giorgio Chiellini won’t be back, the club should get a major boost in the form of Serie A MVP Paulo Dybala.

La Joya returned to the lineup against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday, making his first appearance of the 2020-2021 campaign off the bench as he eases back into the mix from an injury. Dybala played 34 minutes, completing over 95 percent of his passes, per WhoScored.com, and won a dribble and a foul in that time span.

So it was a successful cameo appearance off the bench for the Argentine forward, even if it was uneventful. All he needed to do was get on the pitch, look fit, and set the scene for his first start of the season against Verona.

Paulo Dybala is a crucial player for Juventus both now and in the future

Per Sky Sport Italia, Paulo Dybala is expected to be in the starting XI for Juventus this Sunday, playing alongside Alvaro Morata as the starting forwards. The connection between Dybala and Morata will be quite interesting to watch, as Morata is in great form with three goals in his last two games.

For Dybala, this weekend’s match against Verona is a chance for the 26-year-old forward to make a statement to the club that he’s deserving of a raise in his new contract. Juve and the player have been at the bargaining table for months, and while there have been hints of progress, no deal has been reached.

It would be a huge mistake for Juve to let Dybala go, because he is their most valuable player over the long term. The likes of Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski are future stars on the wing, and Cristiano Ronaldo is the club’s biggest name right now. But Dybala has quality and dynamism that few in the world have, which makes him invaluable to the Bianconeri.

He can show that uniqueness on Sunday night with a start and a fine performance against a Verona side that won’t match up well against him. Dybala could use this game to raise his standard in the following matchup against Barcelona, too.

Dybala has an opportunity to remind the world why he’s the future of Juventus, and perhaps the club’s executives themselves need a reminder. This is a precarious season for Dybala, who has a new coach to impress and a new contract to earn. He can get that season off to a good start and set the tone with a forward’s ideal performance vs. Verona.