UEFA Champions League

Atletico Madrid vs Juventus match build up

When the pair have been available in the Champions League and Serie A this season, Dybala has been a substitute eight times and Ronaldo once.

Forward Paulo Dybala will start Juventus’ Champions League last-16 first-leg tie at Atletico Madrid despite questions over whether he can play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Dybala is playing. Are you happy? Can I go?” manager Massimiliano Allegri joked at his pre-match news conference.

Both players scored on Friday.

Those goals came in a 3-0 win over Frosinone, but in the Italian champions’ previous two Serie A games Dybala was on the bench as Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic started up front.

Atletico have midfielder Koke available for the first time since he suffered a thigh injury on 19 January.

Former Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, who is on loan at Atletico from Chelsea, could play.

“Alvaro Morata has grown a lot since he was with us,” said Allegri. “He is a very dangerous player in one-off games. Tomorrow, we have to try to control the game and stay attentive.”

Juventus

MATCH FACTS

  • Juventus’ most recent victory against Atletico was in 1965 in the Fairs Cup semi-final second-leg replay (3-1).
  • Atletico are unbeaten in the Champions League against Italian opposition under manager Diego Simeone (W4 D2), conceding only goal.
  • Atletico Madrid have reached the Champions League knockout stages in five of their six campaigns under Simeone.
  • Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in their past 12 home games in the Champions League knockout stages (W7 D5).
  • Juventus have won four of their past five away games in the knockout stages of the Champions League (D1).
  • Antoine Griezmann has scored or assisted a goal in each of his six Champions League games at the Wanda Metropolitano (6 goals, 3 assists). This season, he has been directly involved in six of Atletico’s nine Champions League goals (67%) – the highest ratio among the 16 teams left in the competition.
  • Paulo Dybala has scored six goals in his past seven Champions League games, having managed five in his previous 24 matches with Juventus.
  • All 11 of Dybala’s Champions League goals have been scored with his left foot.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo has scored only one goal in his past eight Champions League games, after scoring 11 in his previous eight. He has failed to score in four of his past five Champions League games against Atletico
  • Massimiliano Allegri has reached the knockout stages in each of his nine seasons as manager in the Champions League. He was a beaten finalist in two of the past four seasons with Juventus.