Juventus vs Milan: Sarri opens up about the difficulty of having both Dybala and CR7

June 12, 2020 By Ali M.

Topics: Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo, Maurizio Sarri, Juventus, AC Milan, Coppa Italia

The Italian tactician gave his candid insight on having both the Argentine talent and the Portuguese icon ahead of their Coppa Italia showdown with AC Milan.

Juventus are gearing up for their highly-anticipated Coppa Italia showdown with AC Milan. This semi-final clash, which is the second leg of the competition's penultimate stage, will be the game to welcome football back in Italy after everything was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One exciting factor is seeing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, two of the Bianconeri's most talented players, back on the pitch. However, Maurizio Sarri recently spoke about the duo, admitting that while they are two of the most exceptionally skilled footballers in the world, getting the two to click on the same pitch isn't easy.

This dilemma is no secret. Dybala was the main man in Turin until the arrival of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Since then, the Argentine has seen his importance diminish and has even been linked with a move away from Juventus. While the South American sensation has feature in 24 of this season's 26 Serie A Matchdays, the attacker has only started 17 of them. The 26-year-old has contributed to a total of 12 goals in the Italian top-flight this term, scoring seven and assisting five, which is not a great return but already an improvement on last season. Regardless, Sarri has not been able to crack the nutshell that is having both him and Cristiano on the pitch in synch and firing on all four cylinders.

"Paulo [Dybala] is a phenomenal player," Sarri said, according to Sky Sport (as per Marca).

"He is a star, although tactically it is difficult to make him coexist with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It is not easy to get them to play together, but with the technical and physical qualities Ronaldo and Dybala have, they can make a difference at any time.

"The team must adapt to these qualities, but it is also true that the area is a bit empty, although it is a pleasant difficulty."

It will be interesting to see whether both the Argentine and Portuguese stars will start Friday's showdown with AC Milan. The Old Lady drew the first leg 1-1, with none other than Ronaldo earning his side a crucial draw. This means the reigning Serie A champions hold the advantage heading into the second leg, with the odds favoring them making the final.