The prince taught the king a lesson last night as Paulo Dybala won the first leg in his duel against Lionel Messi.

The 23-year-old scored twice as Juventus ran out 3-0 winners against Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Messi got one over Dybala, performing a nice trick to get past his compatriot in the first half, but that was it for the Barca maestro. It was Dybala’s night.

Prior to the contest, the Juventus star was keen to play down comparisons to Messi.

"Messi is Messi, the one who plays for Barca," he told TV3, via Goal. "I'm Paulo, I'm happy but we know that it will not end here and that it will not be easy at Camp Nou.”

He’s right. Juventus will be aware, having watched Barca’s thrilling comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, that this tie isn’t over. Yet Dybala certainly helped make next week’s trip to Barcelona’s stadium easier.

Xavi talked up Dybala to Barca

There are rumours that Dybala could end up a Barcelona player in the not too distant future, and even Xavi believes it makes sense.

"Dybala would fit in perfectly at Barcelona if you look at the other players there," the Spaniard told Marca this week, per Goal.

"He has a lot of talent and is capable of playing for any big team. He is a natural who plays at a high level and is still young. He is ready to play for Barcelona.”

Dybala's FIFA rise

The rise of the former Palermo man, who has scored 16 goals in all competitions this season, can be seen through his ratings on FIFA.

From a 73-rated centre forward in FIFA 13 to an 86-rated striker in FIFA 17, it’s been some climb.

FIFA 13

FIFA 14

FIFA 15

FIFA 16

FIFA 17

Dybala was given an upgraded 89-rated card in Ultimate Team following his two-goal performance against Palermo in February.

And he will definitely receive another boost when EA Sports confirm their Team of the Week for the latest set of matches.

Credit: Futhead

Dybala vs Neymar. The new Messi vs CR7?

The football world has been blessed with some terrific head-to-head rivalries. We’ve had Pele versus Maradona and Messi is currently locked in battle with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Might Dybala versus Neymar be next? Juventus boss Max Allegri believes it could happen.

“Messi - aside from being the best in the world, he has been for many years and he still is today - has different characteristics to Dybala,” Allegri told reporters before Tuesday’s clash, via Football Italia.

“Dybala is a young player who is growing a lot, and I think he and Neymar will definitely be the two best in the near future.”

Is Dybala vs Neymar the new Messi vs CR7? Let us know in the comments section below!