Paulo Dybala is regarded by some as one of the most technically gifted footballers in the world today. But this season in particular, Dybala has been the piece in the Juventus puzzle that Allegri has never quite been able to find a place for. 

With the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, questions were asked about how Allegri would accommodate both Ronaldo and Dybala in the same side, and now in March those questions seem no closer to being answered.

In recent games Dybala has had to make to do with a place on the bench for Allegri’s side, as they have swept aside all before them domestically, sitting 16 points clear at the top of the Serie A table. But it is in Europe that Juventus’ biggest challenge lies. Following the defeat to Atletico Madrid three weeks ago, Juventus come into tonight’s game knowing they must perform heroics if they are to seal a place in the Champions League quarter finals.  

It is in this competition that Dybala has shown his best form this season, scoring a hatrick against Young Boys in October (notably with Ronaldo suspended). The Argentine has 5 goals in 5 starts in this seasons Champions League, averaging a goal every 87 minutes. Coming into tonight’s game against an Atletico Madrid side that have kept 21 clean sheets already this season, Juventus know they must score at least twice to have any chance of progressing. And yet it seems that Dybala is likely to start from the bench again today, with Federico Bernardeschi likely to retain his starting place on the right side of the Juventus attack. 

Dybala has a history of missing crunch European ties for Juventus, having been injured when the bianconeri went out 4-2 at the hands of Bayern Munich in 2016, despite leading the second leg 2-0 before collapsing in extra-time. He was also missing last season when they almost completed a remarkable comeback against Real Madrid at the Bernebau, only to be denied by a last minute penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Juventus fans will be hoping that this time, even if Dybala is only selected on the bench, Allegri can find a way to use him to affect the game, and they don’t follow the path of glorious failure, which seems to be the pattern for them when he is unavailable.