Allegri optimistic after Supercoppa triumph

  

Juventus have the foundations for sustained success, according to manager Massimiliano Allegri.

Massimiliano Allegri believes Juventus have a squad capable of success over the next five years after watching his side clinch the Supercoppa Italiana with a 2-0 win over Lazio.

New signings Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala found the net in the second half in Shanghai, earning Juve their third Supercoppa crown in four years.

"I'm delighted for the boys," said Allegri. "We needed a game like this, with character, good defensive shape and goalscoring chances.

"The pitch was dreadful and that definitely had an impact on the quality of football. Lazio were good opponents.

"The club's done good work in the transfer market and we're building a Juve side with a future for the next four to five years.

"We have a tough start to the season coming up but we’re working well with the whole staff to make sure we’re ready."

Juventus begin their Serie A defence at home to Udinese on August 23 before travelling to last season's runners-up Roma a week later.

Juventus 2 Lazio 0: Mandzukic and Dybala seal Supercoppa triumph

Juventus' new strikeforce made the difference as the Serie A champions claimed the Supercoppa Italiana with a 2-0 win over Lazio in China.

Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala were on target as Juventus beat Lazio 2-0 in Shanghai to win their third Supercoppa Italiana in four years. 

Juve's new-look strikeforce offered Massimiliano Allegri a glimpse of what he can expect in the post-Carlos Tevez era by finding the net in quick succession midway through the second half of a drab curtain-raiser to the Italian season.

Mandzukic - who was named in Allegri's starting XI - broke the deadlock in the 68th minute with a towering header from Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross, shortly before substitute Dybala lashed Paul Pogba's lay-off into the roof of Federico Marchetti's net from 10 yards.

Ex-Atletico Madrid forward Mandzukic had missed the game's only other genuine chance straight after half-time when Marchetti easily saved his weak shot.

But the Croatian made amends with a superb opener, and Dybala sealed Juve's win four minutes later to give the Serie A champions a boost before they go in search of a fifth-straight Scudetto.

Gianluigi Buffon and Marchetti were able to watch a pedestrian first half unfold without being troubled as both teams laboured in the Chinese heat and humidity.

Lichtsteiner was first to have an attempt on goal on the half-hour mark, the Juve wing-back cutting in from the right before firing a speculative left-footed shot over Marchetti's bar from 25 yards.

Former Lazio man Lichtsteiner was involved again shortly before half-time, when his tug of Felipe Anderson's shirt near the technical areas led to a frank exchange of views with Lazio boss Stefano Pioli, but that was as exciting as the opening 45 minutes got for the Shanghai Stadium crowd.

The first three minutes of the second half contained more goalmouth action than the whole of the first, as first Mandzukic was denied by Marchetti after being put through one-on-one by Pogba, before Juve's new number 10 flashed a superb half-volley just wide.

Allegri introduced another new forward, Dybala, on the hour mark in an attempt to invigorate his attack, and the breakthrough arrived eight minutes later courtesy of Mandzukic's trademark header.  

Dybala got in on the act himself four minutes later, displaying the kind of finishing prowess that persuaded Juve to recruit him from Palermo when he unerringly fired Pogba's pass beyond Marchetti to secure yet more silverware for last season's double-winners.