07 August 2017
The first
Super Cup number one was secured during the cold January climes of 1996 thanks to one single attack in the 32nd minute: Paulo Sousa passes out to Alessandro Del Piero, Del Piero crosses from the right for Fabrizio Ravanelli, Ravanelli nods down for Gianluca Vialli. Goal, 1-0 and ultimately goodnight thanks to Juve’s backline of Angelo Peruzzi, Ciro Ferrara, Alessio Tacchinardi, Pietro Vierchowod and Moreno Torricelli keeping a clean sheet on the night.
And it wouldn’t be long until Juve were celebrating their second Super Cup crown – just 18 months later, in fact, as Filippo Inzaghi’s brace and Antonio Conte’s strike late on wrapped up a comprehensive 3-0 win over Vicenza at the Stadio delle Alpi in Turin.
Del Piero at the double
Any historical round-up of the Bianconeri would not be the same without Alessandro Del Piero and it’s no surprise seeing Juve’s all-time leading goalscorer feature here thanks to his well-taken brace either side of half-time in 2002’s Super Cup success against Parma.
After firing in Marcelo Salas’ neat lay-off before prodding home from Marcelo Zalayeta’s right-wing cross, Alex made no mistake on the Tripoli turf to get what would ultimately be another Serie A winning season up and running with some silverware. Start as you mean to go on as they say!
Trezeguet and Buffon to the rescue
Undoubtedly the most tightly contested of Juve’s seven Super Cup final wins, the destiny of the 2003 title was lying on a knife edge until the very last kick of the game.
A goalless 90 minutes suddenly came to life when Andrea Pirlo, then in Milan colours, swept home from the spot just moments before the midway point of extra-time, but the Rossoneri’s lead lasted less than 60 seconds when David Trezeguet bundled in from point-blank range to set up a grandstand finale and, after another quarter-hour of tension, a penalty shootout.
It was there that the Bianconeri’s Number One excelled, as he so often does, diving to his right to deny Cristian Brocchi.
Ciro Ferrara would ultimately seal the win by smashing in Juve’s fifth of a perfect penalty shootout.
Two finals, eight goals!
Between 2012 and 2013, the Bianconeri more than filled their boots in successive Super Cup finals played in Shanghai and Rome respectively.
Kwadwo Asamoah scoring on his Juventus debut formed the highlight of the first of these title triumphs; Arturo Vidal’s late penalty ensuring the match, which long looked like Napoli would win thanks to strikes by Edinson Cavani and Goran Pandev, went to extra-time, where Antonio Conte’s charges sealed the deal through Christian Maggio’s own goal before Mirko Vucinic added a late fourth.
The following August there would be another four-goal haul, and this time a clean sheet too, as the Bianconeri swept Lazio aside in their own backyard – the Stadio Olimpico – courtesy of strike from Paul Pogba, Giorgio Chiellini, Stephan Lichtsteiner and new signing Carlos Tevez – yet another Juve debutant to make his mark in the competition, but far from the last!
Debut joy for Dybala and Mandzukic
Juve’s seventh and most recent Super Cup success stands out for the fact that not one, but two boys making their maiden appearances in the black and white would go on to score in Shanghai.
Lazio were once more the victims, but had frustrated Massimiliano Allegri’s men for far longer than the previous meeting two years prior and it would take until the 69th minute for Mario Mandzukic to break the deadlock, heading home Stefano Sturaro’s right-wing cross.
Just four minutes later, another summer signing would be celebrating a strike of his own too, Paulo Dybala picking up Pogba’s pass from the left before rifling into the roof of the net to put victory and a record-breaking seventh Super Cup triumph beyond doubt.
For Mandzukic and Dybala, this was just a premonition for what would follow, as the forwards forged a fine partnership over the course of a history-making campaign, in which their combined 36 goals in all competitions propelled the club to a record-equalling fifth successive Scudetto as well as consecutive Coppa Italia titles – an unprecedented achievement in the Italian game.
