Juventus and Lazio will meet in China’s Shanghai Stadium on Saturday to compete for the first piece of silverware on offer this season in the Supercoppa Italiana.
Scheduling issues dictated that the 2014 equivalent of the competition had to take place in December, but 2015 sees a return to the more conventional place in the calcio calendar for the season’s curtain raiser.
The Bianconeri fell to a penalty shoot-out defeat to Napoli in last year’s event, as the sides could not be separated after Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez both bagged a brace for their respective teams.
The tournament’s history suggests that it will be Massimiliano Allegri’s men who will be celebrating come Saturday evening as the Biancocelesti only qualified for the Supercoppa as Coppa Italia runners-up, having been defeated by Juventus in the final in May.
Incidentally, Juventus and Lazio did meet in the competition just two years ago at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, which is another thing Laziali will not be thankful to me for pointing out, as their side capitulated and suffered a 4-0 defeat.
The two sides also played one another in the 1998 Supercoppa, which was hosted at the Stadio delle Alpi, and it was the Biancocelesti who ran out as 2-1 victors.
The Old Lady have won the Supercoppa Italiana a record six times, in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2012 and 2013, while Lazio boast three Supercoppa titles, winning the competition in 1998, 2000 and 2009.
What is perhaps most intriguing about this encounter will be how Juventus line up, following the departures of many of their key players from previous seasons, including Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo.
The Scudetto holders have already faced a number of setbacks this week with new signing Sami Khedira being ruled out for up to two months with a hamstring injury, while Andrea Barzagli and Alvaro Morata will also be forced to sit out the showpiece event.
Despite their injury woes, some of Juve’s new recruits have been talking up the fixture in recent days, with Simone Zaza and Paulo Dybala stating their desire to win the tournament as they look to get the season off to the best possible start.
Lazio have also been in the news with regards to the upcoming clash, with their main problem being an off-field issue, as their ultras are refusing to make the trip for the game as they to protest against the chosen location for the event.
Expected Starting XIs
Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Rugani, Evra; Pogba, Marchisio, Sturaro, Tello; Dybala, Mandzukic.
Lazio: Marchetti; Basta, De Vrij, Gentiletti, Radu; Biglia, Cataldi, Onazi; Candreva, Felipe Anderson, Klose.
