Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has insisted that his team's "first target" of the season is to win the Italian Super Cup on Saturday, but has predicted an evenly matched contest for the silverware.
The Italian champions will face fellow Serie A outfit Lazio in the showdown at the Shanghai Stadium, with Allegri hoping that his team will be able to add to the six triumphs they have managed in the competition.
However, the former AC Milan manager predicts an evenly matched contest, one that could run down to 120 minutes, as was the case between the two sides in the Coppa Italia last season, which the Bianconeri eventually won.
“It’s our first target of the season and a good performance will be required", Allegri said at a press conference in China.
"We know that it will be an even contest and one that could even last 120 minutes like the Coppa Italia final did.”
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Juventus will be pushed onto the back foot by the absence of many of their key experienced players due to injury. However, Allegri is not worried, insisting that such problems are part and parcel of the game.
“Injuries crop up at moments of every season and it’s a pity that [Giorgio] Chiellini, [Sami] Khedira and [Alvaro] Morata will miss out on Saturday’s game, but this is part and parcel of football.
"Last year we began with [Andrea] Barzagli and [Martin] Caceres as long-term casualties and [Kwadwo] Asamoah missed out on almost the entire campaign.
“Barzagli is back and will train with the team today. I still haven’t decided which system to go for, but regardless I’ve got plenty of choice up front.
"We possess talented youngsters in the form of [Paulo] Dybala, [Simone] Zaza and [Kingsley] Coman, with an element of international experience in [Mario] Mandzukic and then there’s [Fernando] Llorente, who last year made decisive contributions and has always weighed in with decent displays.”
