Barca wary of dangerous Dybala in Champions League opener

TIL Desk Sports/ Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is wary of the danger posed by Juventus forward Paulo Dybala ahead of their opening Champions League Group D clash on Tuesday. Dybala struck twice in Juve’s 3-0 aggregate quarter-final win over Barca last season and is set to start at the Nou Camp.

“He’s a player that has a lot of quality… what we can see from outside is that he still wants to improve, he’s a player who can make the difference,” Ter Stegen told a news conference on Monday. Argentine Dybala has scored seven goals in four games for Juventus this season, including a hat-trick against Genoa in Serie A on August 26.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde agreed that Dybala posed a threat but was also concerned with Juve’s power as a team. “He’s an important player in his team, in Europe and in the world, we know that,” said the coach. “But so are (Gonzalo) Higuain, (Miralem) Pjanic and (Andrea) Barzagli. “I fear Juventus for their consistency, what they’ve done, how they play, that’s what worries me about the team.”