Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala battling it out tonight
Barcelona vs Juventus pits the king of football against a potential heir
Both players arrive at the game in an ideal moment, top scorers in their leagues
Paulo Dybala didn't bat an eyelid as journalists asked him if he considers himself Lionel Messi's heir. The Juventus striker is one of the best young players in the world and he goes head to head with his compatriot tonight at Camp Nou in the Champions League.
Barcelona vs Juventus, a game with the aroma of a final, puts the international team-mates head to head. Beneath Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Dybala is among an elite band of players who have their sights set on the throne.
Both Messi and Dybala are top scorers in their respective leagues with five goals. Barcelona know Dybala well, with his two goals against them in last season's quarter-final clash effectively putting them out in a 3-0 aggregate win for Juventus.
Five months later the teams are paired again. Messi and Ronaldo are still the monarchs but Juve's No 10 is banging on the door. At 23 years old he is already an idol for Juve fans.
Although football is increasingly modernised, there are old faithful elements. One of those is the symbolic weight of shirt numbers, none like the No 10, which has legendary status at clubs like Barcelona or Juventus. Maradona, Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho have worn the number at Barcelona before Messi. In Turin Platini, Baggio and Del Piero are among those who have wielded it before Dybala took it this summer.
