Juventus will be looking to put a difficult summer behind them when they renew acquaintances with Lazio in the Italian Super Cup, this afternoon.
The traditional Serie A curtain raiser, between the league champions and the Coppa Italia winners, is slightly different this year as Juventus won both titles during the 2014-15 campaign, meaning they face cup runners-up Lazio once again in a repeat of two years ago.
Much has changed for the Bianconeri since that 2-1 victory at Rome’s Olympic Stadium in May. It has been a story of departures, defeats and injuries for Massimiliano Allegri’s team over the close season.
Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal have left for new clubs, while Giorgio Chiellini, Sami Khedira and Alvaro Morata will miss today’s showdown in Shanghai with various injury problems.
Chiellini (thigh) also missed the Champions League final and may not be available again until next month. Khedira (hamstring) and Morata (calf) face longer absences.
Despite those problems and successive 2-0 losses to Olympique Marseille and Borussia Dortmund, Juventus go into the game as favourites but Allegri does not see it that way.
“There’s a bad atmosphere around Juventus,” Allegri told ESPN after last week’s 2-1 win against Lechia Gdansk.
“Everyone is saying we’re favourites to beat Lazio but it’s not like that.
“As ever, we’ll have to get to work during training and matches. What we did last year counts for nothing.”
Allegri is likely to pair new signings Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala up front, while Simone Zaza, another newcomer this summer, may also be involved as Juventus look for a morale-boosting result to head into what could be a record breaking campaign for the Turin team.
The Bianconeri are chasing a fifth straight Serie A scudetto for the first time since the 1930s.
Lazio at full strength
Lazio are pretty much at full strength for the Super Cup clash after Dutch defender Stefan de Vrijhas, who has missed the club’s entire pre-season preparations so far, declared himself fit.
Former Manchester United and West Ham United midfielder Ravel Morrison looks like being the only absentee due to an ankle injury.
Despite Juve’s problems, Lazio midfielder Danilo Cataldi does not feel it makes the size of the task any smaller for him and his team-mates.
“We have been working very well this summer because this is an important game as there is a trophy to lift,” he told Lazio Style Radio yesterday.
“We play against the strongest team in Italy, and one of the strongest in Europe. We will try to defeat them because we have not done it in a long time.”
Juventus will be seeking a record seventh triumph in the season’s curtain-raising competition while Lazio are chasing a fourth crown.