Juventus vs FC Porto - Dybala hoping for 'special' goal against Casillas - 7M sport

Juventus vs FC Porto - Dybala hoping for 'special' goal against Casillas



Posted Monday, March 13, 2017 by PA

Paulo Dybala is targeting a special achievement when Juventus host Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday - scoring a goal past the distinguished Iker Casillas.

A quarter-final place is up for grabs in Turin, with the Old Lady holding a handy 2-0 lead from the first leg in Portugal.

But as well as helping his side into the last eight in Europe, 23-year-old Dybala has a personal motivation for the 90 minutes ahead.

He is no stranger to coming up against formidable goalkeepers, having shared a training ground with the great Gianluigi Buffon for the past 18 months and on Friday beat his heir apparent, Gianluigi Donnarumma, to seal an injury-time victory over AC Milan.

The Argentinian now has 13 for the season and hopes to add to that tally against former Real Madrid and Spain number one Casillas.

"Obviously I'd like to score against him," Dybala told O Jogo.

"My job is to score goals and to do so against a goalkeeper like him, with the maximum respect, would be special.

"Despite his age he is still a big player at Porto. His achievements as a goalkeeper are historic, everything he has managed to win at Real and the Spanish national team."

For his part, Casillas offered a tepid rallying cry to Porto's fans.

A Facebook post on his official account read: "We know we face a very hard task but in football anything can happen. We will look put in a good performance, try to win and see what happens."

Juve sit eight points clear on top of Serie A following victory over Milan and two unanswered away goals puts them in a formidable position to progress against Porto, but Dybala is remaining level-headed.

"The last win against Porto gives us some peace of mind because we have a good advantage, but the truth is that Porto are a good team and, in the first leg, they made life difficult for us until we scored," he said.

"Our away goals will be the key, so we'll have to be very careful at the back. In order to qualify we have to be very careful.

"We dream of winning the Champions League, but we'll have to pass through different traps: Porto is the next one."

Porto finished the first leg with 10 men after Alex Telles' sending-off helped put Massimiliano Allegri's side on the front foot, and the Brazilian defender will be suspended as a result.

Jesus Corono and Hector Herrera were both fit enough to travel, having been doubts for the game, but the challenge remains formidable against a side who have become watertight on home soil.

Porto boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: ""We can not give up. This is in our education, this is how we are."



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