Complete Tactical Profile of Juventus Forward Paulo Dybala
The headlines surrounding Juventus over the past week have centred on Paul Pogba's possible transfer to Manchester United or a potential deal for Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain; there is so much more to discuss about this Bianconeri side.
Whether the Frenchman leaves or the Argentinian arrives, there is a strong case to be made that neither would be the club's most influential player in 2016/17. Without wishing to demean the incredible defence available to the Old Lady, that honour may well belong to young striker Paulo Dybala.
Having only arrived in Turin from Palermo one year ago, he is a different player than the man Juventus bought at a cost their website revealed to be "€32 million [...] with a potential extra €8 million to be paid if certain performance-related targets are met."
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With the Sicilian side, Dybala was the central striker, with Franco Vazquez tucked in behind him. The two struck up a wonderful rapport, playing with an incredible understanding that saw them share 23 goals in 2014/15.
“Dybala is a quality player who has had a fantastic season,” Vazquez said at a press conference in June last year, shortly after his team-mate moved on to Juve. “I wish him all the best, he is a friend to me. Behind the footballer there is a truly great person.”
Despite the sizeable investment his club had made in Dybala, coach Massimiliano Allegri took a cautious approach with the youngster, not overusing him in the early part of the campaign. That coincided with some poor results, prompting an outburst from Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini about the progress of his former player.
“Someone has to get better at Juventus and it isn’t Dybala, it’s Allegri,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Gazzetta World), before going even further on Radio Sportiva. “Allegri is ruining Dybala,” was Zamparini's typically blunt analysis (h/t Football Italia), but many others saw the situation differently.
“Allegri did a good job with me and I think he's doing it with Dybala,” Stephan El Shaarawy told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), who prospered under the coach at AC Milan. “With young people it takes patience, then if they are good, they have another 16 years to play.”
The Argentina native shared that faith and understood that—in order to play with more traditional strikers like Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata—he would need to adapt. Speaking to Sky Italia back in October (h/t Football Italia), he expressed his faith in the direction Allegri was giving him:
"He's the Coach, and he knows what has to be done. He talks to me every week, and he helps me so much. I watch videos of everything that I have to improve, because I came from Palermo and it’s a different situation.
The Coach is a great Coach, he and all his staff help me grow, and they’re working with me to help me improve.
"
Embracing his withdrawn role, Dybala blossomed into a fine second striker, shrugging off the expectation of his lofty price tag and the fact he was replacing Carlos Tevez. He did so in a number of ways, which are analysed below in a complete breakdown of his contributions to Juve thus far.
Goals
Tap-ins, long range screamers, volleys, penalties and even one with his right foot. On his way to a final tally of 23 goals, Dybala scored them all. Finding the net on his debut in the Supercoppa Italiana, he also scored in every competition, putting his name on Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League scoresheets.
It was a wonderful return in his first season with the Bianconeri, with only Higuain's record of 36 goals topping his compatriot's tally in the league. His did so with superb accuracy, with statistics from WhoScored.com showing he took just three shots per game in comparison to the Napoli star's Serie A-high mark of 5.2.
Furthermore, figures provided by Squawka.com show Dybala found the target with an impressive 55 per cent of those efforts, and the video above showcases the incredible variety of his goals.
Creativity
While Dybala had showcased that eye for goal before joining Juventus, once firmly established in the Bianconeri starting XI, his ability to create goals for others came to the fore. Surrounded by better team-mates, the 22-year-old saw his best passes rewarded, as the chances he laid on became goals with increased regularity.
He registered nine assists last season, but WhoScored figures show that the number of scoring opportunities he made rose from 1.7 in 2014/15 to 2.1, while his pass-completion rate went from 81.6 per cent to 84.9 per cent.
Defensive Diligence
Perhaps the one aspect of Tevez’s playing style that Dybala was expected to struggle with most was work rate, as the former Manchester City captain was a relentless defender whenever his side lost the ball. It was something previously unseen in his replacement, but the new man quickly picked up the baton that the older star had left.
“When I arrived here, I altered my approach, understanding that to have a strong character means everything,” he told reporters back in January. ”For example, if I lose possession of the ball, I try my utmost to win it back.”
Dribbling
That defensive effort often saw Dybala drop deep into his own half to help protect Gigi Buffon’s goal, but from there, he could put his offensive attributes to good use. Short, well-built and with a superb level of acceleration, it was no surprise to see the No. 21 dribble beyond opponents at high speed once the Bianconeri recovered possession.
A sublime first touch helped him to leave defenders trailing in his wake, with the video above showing just how easily he skipped beyond a string of dazzled opponents.
Squawka figures show that Dybala completed 92 of the 152 take-ons he attempted last term, a 61 per cent success rate that highlights just how effective he was in this department.
Dead-Ball Prowess
The last area in which Dybala had a major impact last term was with set pieces, and his delivery paid huge dividends on numerous occasions. He took control of many corner and free-kick situations, with his left footed grace providing an alternative angle to Paul Pogba’s right, and the below effort against Hellas Verona shows just how devastatingly good he can be:
“Looking back at it, I have to admit that I caught the ball well,” he told reporters shortly after the final whistle. ”The keeper wasn't able to get across in time. We've been practicing dead-ball situations a lot in training and even have competitions to see who's the most accurate.”
Summary
When analysing Dybala’s debut campaign with the Old Lady, there are a number of factors that stand out, but perhaps one more than any other: He is still just 22 and will only continue to improve from here.
“He will be the future and is the present of Juventus,” Allegri told a press conference back in October, a chilling thought for those back-pedalling defences across Italy as the 2016/17 campaign approaches.
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