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Sarri, Ronaldo and Dybala - Is this the Champions League formula?

Sarri, Ronaldo and Dybala - Is this the Champions League formula?

Former Juventus manager Fabio Capello declared the Serie A title race to be
officially over after learning they had captured the signature of Matthijs de
Ligt. The Dutch defender is the hottest property in world football right now and
clubs like PSG and Barcelona were desperate to snap him up.

Yet Juventus is where the world’s best centre-backs learn their trade and it is
a sensible move for de Ligt, who will join the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and
Leonardo Bonucci in Turin. Inter are displaying a great deal of ambition this
summer, but the odds at top betting sites like Bovada show that Juventus are
odds-on favourites to clinch a ninth consecutive Serie A title.

The real prize for Juventus next season is the Champions League. They
finished runners-up twice under Max Allegri and they have now parted ways
with the coach in a bid to finally become champions of Europe. Replacing him
is Maurizio Sarri, who was a thorn in Juventus’ side during his time as Napoli
boss, but never managed to dethrone them as Italian champions. In fact, he
had never won a single trophy until last season, but that all changed at
Chelsea.

The chain-smoking manager led the Blues to the Europa League final during
his first season in charge, and they destroyed London rivals Arsenal to seize
the trophy. It was a strong campaign for Sarri, who led Chelsea to a third
placed finish in an exceptionally competitive Premier League. Yet the Blues
fans never warmed to him, as they found Sarriball turgid and could not
understand his decision to shunt N’Golo Kante out wide in order to
accommodate Jorginho, who followed him from Napoli to Stamford Bridge.
But Sarriball could work well in Serie A and in the Champions League, which
are played at a slower pace than the Premier League.

Sarri is now tasked with winning the biggest prize in club football and he has
some fine tools at his disposal. The defence looks rock solid and in Cristiano
Ronaldo they are blessed with the world’s most lethal striker. He showed his
brilliance once again this summer by leading Portugal to the UEFA Nations
League title, banging in a magnificent hat-trick against Switzerland in the
semi-finals.

His sensational hat-trick against Atletico Madrid in last season’s Champions
League showed just why the club paid so much money for a player of his age,
and they need to make the most of his time in Turin. He is a brilliant athlete,
but Ronaldo is now 34 years old and he cannot go on forever. Juventus need
to win the Champions League with him in the next couple of years, and it will
be up to Sarri to get the best out of him.

The big dilemma for the club is Paulo Dybala. He is a wonderful player and he
has put in some excellent performances for Juventus over the years, but he
never really clicked with Ronaldo last season
. That led to rumours that the
Argentinean forward would be sold this summer, and Inter were linked with a
bid. He similarly struggles with Lionel Messi in the national team, and that has
seen him dropped to the bench.

Yet Dybala is a great player and if Sarri can work out a way to get him and
Ronaldo flourishing in tandem, then Juventus could finally win the Champions
League. They are among the favourites to lift the trophy and they have world-
class players in every department. With de Ligt at the back, Ronaldo up front
and Dybala wreaking havoc with his invention and creativity, Juventus could
be unstoppable.