Paulo Dybala will miss Juventus’ clash against Villarreal tomorrow due to injury, the latest example in an extensive history of unluckiness in the Champions League for the Argentinian.
The former Palermo man joined the Bianconeri in the summer of 2015 and has appeared in all seven of their Champions League campaigns since then. Across those 52 matches, he has scored 18 goals and provided three assists, being consistently unlucky in decisive moments for the Turin side.
In the 2015/16 season, Dybala was decisive in the first leg of the Round of 16 against Bayern Munich, scoring once as they drew 2-2 at home. He was absent for the return leg after suffering an injury, and Juventus duly lost to their German opponents 4-2 in extra time.
The following season, the Argentinian forward was again key in the first leg of the quarter-finals, netting twice against Barcelona. He then failed to make a strong impact for the rest of the run to the finals, and he could do nothing as they lost against Real Madrid in Cardiff.
In the 17/18 campaign, Dybala was sent off in the first leg of the quarter-finals against Real Madrid after picking up two yellow cards, meaning he could only watch on in horror as the Spanish side secured a vital goal in the dying minutes of the match at the Santiago Bernabéu.
A year later, the former Palermo forward hardly featured in the two legs of the quarter-finals against Ajax due to an injury, only playing 60 minutes across both games.
In Maurizio Sarri’s one season in charge, Dybala could only play 13 minutes in the second leg of the Round of 16 clash against Lyon, having to come off due to a problem.
Finally, last season. In the first leg of the Round of 16 against Porto, Dybala was left on the bench, and he was unavailable in the second leg due to an injury.
His absence for tonight’s match against Villarreal is therefore only the latest incident in a long history of unlucky moments in the competition.