Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has praised the quality of Juventus attacker Paulo Dybala before the two teams meet in the Champions League.
Spurs host the Italian side on Wednesday night in the last 16 of the Champions League and the teams are locked at 2-2 after the first leg in Turin.
Pochettino’s side have two away goals in their favour thanks to strikes from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen as the North London club aim to reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for just the second time.
However, Juventus have been given a major boost as Dybala has returned to the side after missing the first game with Spurs through injury.
The 24-year-old playmaker is recognised as one of the best players in the squad and has the creative ability to unlock any defence.
He has been in good form this season despite injury problems, scoring 18 goals and supplying five assists in 31 appearances this season.
Pochettino has decided to single out danger man Dybala ahead of Wednesday’s night game and feels he is a real threat for Juventus.
“Of course Dybala is a player that can provide the team different qualities and different things. We are aware about him and it’s difficult to stop this type of talented player but of course we need to do our job and we need to try to dominate them,” Pochettino said, as quoted by Spurs’ official Twitter account.
OPINION
Dybala’s return for Juventus should certainly concern Spurs fans and Pochettino is rightfully wary of the Argentinian. The versatile attacker quite often likes to drop into the number 10 role behind the striker and Spurs’ defensive midfielders should look to crowd him out. Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier could easily sit in front of the defence to provide extra cover, while their attacking quartet have the firepower to rip through any defence. Spurs are marginal favourites going into Wednesday night, but must not forget that they are facing a very experienced Juventus side who finished as runners-up in the Champions League last season.