New signings come good for Juventus, as Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala score on their competitive debuts to secure La Vecchia Signora’s seventh Supercoppa Italiana.
Despite there being a trophy up for grabs, the game descended into a prodding, pre-season tempo in the opening 45 minutes. Both teams struggled to find a route into the final third, largely due to lethargy on the ball in the centre of the park. Juventus and Lazio seemed comfortable bobbling the ball around the centre circle with little or no attempt to push any further up the pitch.
The only notable effort on goal of the first half came from Juventus’ new number ten: Paul Pogba. A looping cross from Stephan Lichtsteiner on the right flank was latched onto by the towering Frenchman; however, his subsequent headed effort on goal trickled wide of Federico Marchetti’s post.
Lazio's threat came from wide
Lazio’s danger-men, Antonio Candreva and Felipe Anderson, looked capable of causing problems for the Juventus back three during the first half. Although both wingers pushed in behind their opposing wing-backs at any given opportunity, their attacking potency was largely nullified by Lazio’s own lack of creativity in the centre of the park.
There were no changes of personnel at half-time; however there was an explicit change of mentality in Juve’s ranks. In the 47th minute, debutant Mandzukic spurned a glorious opportunity to mark his maiden competitive appearance for La Vecchia Signora with a goal. After being played clean through on goal by Pogba, the Croatian international could only find the mid-riff of Marchetti with his subsequent effort on goal, and the ball was cleared from danger.
Moments later, Pogba came close to opening the scoring with an outstanding long range effort. The number ten’s venomous effort 25-yards from goal flew past a hapless Marchetti in the Lazio goal, and just wide of the right post.
Lazio’s offensive threat also began to finally crescendo in the second half, as Cataldi’s low effort from just outside the box flew inches wide of Gianluigi Buffon’s left-hand post.
Second-half double salvo from Juventus
In the 68th minute Mandzukic atoned for his earlier miss by heading home his first goal for his new club. The Croatian rose highest at the back post to latch onto a Stefano Sturaro, and head the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.
Five minutes later, another of Juve’s marquee summer signings opened his goal-scoring account. Substitute Dybala emphatically doubled Juve’s lead after being teed up on the edge of the penalty area. The Argentine youngster’s first-time strike flew past Marchetti in the Lazio goal and into the roof of the net.
Juventus will welcome Udinese to the Juventus Stadium on the 23rd August in their opening Serie A fixture, while Lazio will play their next competitive fixture on the 18th August, when they face Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers.