Italian champions Juventus will be hoping to win their third Super Cup in four seasons when they take on Lazio in Shanghai on Saturday.
The Bianconeri completed a domestic double last term, while Lazio also impressed and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons.
Juventus
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There can be no denying the fact that Juventus have been the dominant force in Italian football in recent seasons and they will come into the new campaign hoping to land a fifth Serie A title in a row.
Their success last term perhaps even surpassed most of their fans' expectations, as they completed a league and cup double and enjoyed a sensational run to the Champions League final.
Despite coming up short in the final against Barcelona two months ago, they were praised for their efforts and tipped by many to come back stronger.
However, in recent weeks the club have gone through a number of changes, with key players such as Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez all leaving, and the likes of Mario Mandzukic, Sami Khedira and Paulo Dybala arriving to take their place.
It remains to be seen whether the new signings can match the achievements of those who have come before them, but they have managed to hold on to Paul Pogba, who has been linked with most of Europe's biggest clubs this summer.
As they head into this weekend's match, their pre-season results may be a worry to Massimiliano Allegri, as his side have suffered defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Marseille, with their only victory coming against Polish outfit Lechia Gdansk.
Recent form: WDLLWL
Lazio
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Lazio will be taking part in their second Super Cup in the past three years, after losing last season's Coppa Italia final in extra time to Juventus.
Despite that result in the cup, it ended up being a successful campaign for the Rome club, as they secured a third-place finish in Serie A to return to the Champions League.
It took them until the last day of the season to finally book their place among Europe's elite, as a dramatic 4-2 win over Napoli saw them edge out the Partenopei.
However, they will have a tough job of making it through to the group stage of the tournament, as they will face one of Manchester United, Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen, Shakhtar Donetsk or Sporting Lisbon in the playoff round.
Their preparations for the new campaign have not exactly been ideal and they have lost their previous four friendlies, with their only wins against two amateur sides last month.
The squad also remains largely the same as the previous term, with Ravel Morrison, Patric, Wesley Hoedt and Ricardo Kishna the most notable arrivals of the summer.
It is worth noting that veteran striker Miroslav Klose has agreed to spend another year at the club, while they have held on to last season's star performer Felipe Anderson, although speculation has been rife that Antonio Candreva could be sold, after Lucas Biglia was given the club captaincy ahead of him.
Recent form: WWLLLL
Team News
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Juventus have been dealt a number of injury blows ahead of the new season, with recent signing Khedira facing two months out with a thigh problem and Alvaro Morata ruled out for a month due to a calf tear.
Giorgio Chiellini is also facing 20 days on the sidelines with a thigh injury, while Andrea Barzagli is expected to miss out.
The absences of the two defenders mean that Leonardo Bonucci and highly-rated youngster Daniele Rugani should play in the middle of a back four.
There could also be debuts for Simone Zaza, Dybala and Mandzukic in a front three, while Pogba is expected to start in the midfield.
Meanwhile, Lazio have no fresh injury problems to worry about and are expected to name a familiar lineup, with Candreva and Anderson supporting lone striker Klose in the attack.
Juventus possible starting lineup:
Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Rugani, Evra, Pogba, Marchisio, Sturaro, Zaza, Dybala, Mandzukic
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Marchetti, Basta, De Vrij, Gentiletti, Radu, Biglia, Cataldi, Onazi, Candreva, Anderson, Klose
Head To Head
Lazio have failed to beat Juventus in the last seven games between the clubs and they suffered two losses in Serie A last season, as well as their extra-time defeat in the cup final.
That run of games includes the Super Cup final at the start of the 2013-14 season, in which Juventus romped to a 4-0 victory over the Biancocelesti in Rome.
Juventus have been involved in the last three Super Cup finals, but they were beaten on penalties in last year's edition by Napoli following a 2-2 draw in Doha.
We say: Juventus 3-1 Lazio
Juventus have been in such good form over the past 12 months and they will be hoping to hit the ground running ahead of the new Serie A campaign. They have outplayed Lazio in the most recent meetings between the teams, and although they will be missing some key players, it is hard to see that changing at the weekend, which is why we are tipping the Old Lady to claim another trophy.
Alex Meyers
