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Juventus 5 - Sampdoria 0: Initial reaction and random observations

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We wondered what Paulo Dybala would do in his final game of the 2015-16 season at Juventus Stadium. Well, the boy wonder had a pretty darn good answer for us. And it didn't take long for him to give us an answer, either.

What a guy, right?

Dybala's ridiculously good first season at Juventus got its cherry on top Saturday afternoon. Sure, there's one more game to go, but his final match on his home turf this season was just about as good as it could have been. Dybala played a massive role in all three of Juve's three first-half goals, recording the assist on Patrice Evra's header to open things up and then scoring the next two on his own to give his team a commanding 3-0 lead entering the break.

We didn't get to see a hat trick before he was subbed off to about as deserving a standing ovation as you will get, but that's okay.

When Dybala was on the field, it was pretty damn impressive.

It's the kind of performance that, at this point, isn't all that surprising. Dybala is that good, and has shown he's that good time after time. He is more than capable of taking over a match like he did in the opening 45 minutes. It was, for all intents and purposes, the Paulo Dybala show in the opening half against Sampdoria. And just the latest example of how much this young Argentine gem of a player is going to mean to this club going forward into the future.

Pick any kind of positive word you want to describe Dybala's season, and you wouldn't be wrong. He's been that damn good — and here's to hoping we get to say that again and again and again for the next decade or so.

Max Allegri demanded a big-time performance at his pre-match press conference. And, well, I think it's safe to say that the second-year Juventus manager got exactly that. He can thank Paulo Dybala for a lot of that, too.

Random thoughts and observations

  • Paulo Dybala is good. Just thought I'd re-establish that point.

  • Giorgio Chiellini made it through an entire first half without getting injured. The way he was going the last couple of months, this is a pretty good accomplishments.

    (And of course right after I type this he goes down with what looks like a cramp in his left leg. Chiellini gonna Chiellini, I guess.)

  • Chiellini also marked his 400th appearance with one hell of a left-footed volley for a goal in the second half. He may be awkward and gangly and all that stuff, but every now and then he connects with a rocket like that and you'd think he could have easily broken the net entirely.

  • Neto's new green keeper kit — bright, very bright.

  • Sure hope this wasn't Álvaro Morata's final appearance as a Juventus player at Juventus Stadium. But the way it's sounding these days, that could very well be the case.

  • At one point, the players on the field for Juventus could easily double as a crew you'd like to have flanking you if you walked through a dark alley. You know who — Stefano Sturaro, Leonardo Bonucci, Mario Mandzukic, Simone Zaza. 

  • Andrea Ranocchia was bullied off the ball by Morata on Bonucci's goal. Remember that summer when we thought the decision between Ranocchia and Bonucci was going to be a hard one? I'm pretty sure Leo has won that battle with flying colors.

  • Three out of the five Juventus defenders scored goals against Sampdoria. Yo, Andrea Barzagli and Stephan Lichtsteiner, you guys are slackin', man. (Just kidding. I like you guys.)

  • Rather fitting that as Juve celebrate their fifth straight title, they close out the season by scoring five goals and roll to the win. Not bad, not bad at all.

  • And so it's all said and done: Twenty-nine wins, five losses, four draws. Ninety-one points and a plus-55 goal differential. Just like we all thought was going to happen back in the dark days of October, huh?