Juventus will be looking to put a difficult summer behind them when they renew acquaintances with Lazio in the Italian Super Cup.
The traditional Serie A curtain raiser, between the league champions and the Coppa Italia winners, is different this year as Juventus won both titles in 2014/15, meaning that in the Super Cup they will face Coppa runners-up Lazio in a repeat of the Super Cup two years ago.
Much has changed for the Bianconeri since that 2-1 Coppa 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 Saturday’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 Juve,” Allegri said after last week’s 2-1 win against Lechia Gdansk.
“Everyone is saying we’re favourites, but it’s not like that. As ever, we’ll have to get to work. 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 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 giants.
The Bianconeri are chasing a fifth straight Scudetto for the first time since the 1930s.
Lazio are pretty much at full strength after Dutch defender Stefan de Vrijhas, who has missed the club’s entire pre-season preparations, declared himself fit.
Former Manchester United and West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison looks like being the only absentee with an ankle injury.
Despite Juventus’ problems, Lazio midfielder Danilo Cataldi does not feel it makes the size of the task any smaller for him and his teammates.
“We have been working very well because this is an important game as there is a trophy to lift,” he said. “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 victory in the competition while Lazio are chasing a fourth crown.
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