Calcio Mercato and Super Cup preview

Milan finally have signed a forward to play alongside Alexandre Pato. Klass Jan Huntelaar has arrived in a day of frenzied transfer activity in Calcio for a cool £13 million. This may spark a surge activity for the red side of Milan, and Lazio wing back Lorenzo Di Silvestri is tipped to be the next one to follow suit in an exchange deal with winger Abate going in the opposite direction. Not to be outdone, Inter Milan have completed the signing of Austrian revelation Marko Arnautovic today on loan from FC Twente with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Cagliari have also been active today, signing Simone Barone from Torino. The world cup winning midfielder joins on a three year deal, and can be considered an impressive signing by the Sardinian side.

ITALIAN SUPER CUP PREVIEW: INTER MILAN V SS LAZIO

The first piece of silverwear is up for grabs this season, and both teams will want nothing more than to take it with both hands. The league winners, Inter, will face off against the Coppa Italia winners, Lazio, in Beijing on Saturday afternoon uk time, 1pm to be precise. It will be a chance to show off Italian football to the Chinese and introduce the new signings both sides have made this summer, before the season opens on Saturday August 22nd. Inter will begin the match as favourites, and rightly so. Summer signings in Eto'o, Motta, Milito and Lucio are expected to start the match alongside the likes of Maicon, Julio Cesar, Estaban Cambiasso, Dejan Stankovic and Davide Santon for Inter who defeated Lazio on both occasions the teams met last season. Indeed, the only team in Italy they did not beat last year was Cagliari.

However, Lazio are highly motivated for this match. Despite leaving behind Goran Pandev and Cristian Ledesma, due to contractual issues, Lazio arrive with superstars of their own in Mauro Zarate, Pasquale Foggia, Tomasso Rocchi, and Alexander Kolarov. Indeed, they have a few signings of their own to show off as internationals in Julio Cruz and Eliseu have joined the frey. Lazio may be quitely confident in this one, they know their recent nemisis, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has gone and while Eto'o and Milito are world class, they will need some time to adjust to Inter's style of play. Also in Lazio's favour is their form in cup competitions from last season. Confidence on this front should be high, after defeating Milan, Juve and Sampdoria on the way to May's Coppa Italia triumph.

Lazio v Inter, a recent history
These two clubs are two of Italys heavyweights. Indeed, both have had a lot of success in the last ten years or so. Lazio have lifted the Serie A title in 2000, Coppa Italia four times in this period in 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2009, Italian super cup twice in 1998 and 2000, Cup winners Cup in 1999 and European Super Cup in 1999. Inter have hardly been outdone by Lazio's glittering success in recent years. League Champions in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 is a magnificent feat, with Coppa Italia wins also in 2005 and 2006. They have also boasted three Italian Super Cup wins during this period in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Both sides have also had a positive and negative effect in huge moments for both clubs. In 2000, Inter lead Lazio 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico, and a defeat would have ended any hopes of a Scudetto win. However, two goals in the last ten minutes for Lazio leveled the tie, which eventually lead to a Scudetto win for Lazio over Juventus by one point. Lazio however wrecked any chance for Inter to lift their first Scudetto since 1989 in 2002 by crushing them 4-2 at the Olimpico. Inter needed to win by one goal to lift the Scudetto and prevent either Roma or Juventus from taking it instead. It was a party like atmosphere in the Olimpico in which the Lazio and Inter fans intermingled, both wanting Inter to win to prevent bitter rivals in Juve and Roma from taking the title instead. Yet the Lazio players did not read the script and beat Inter to allow for Juventus to take their first title since 1998. Despite this, the clubs fans have a great relationship.

What to expect this Saturday
A great game hopefully, and one that I look likely to miss due to work commitments and a lack of getting a sky connection in time for this game at least. Still, I believe it will be a close but attacking affair so expect some goals. It opens up a season that is going to be really really interesting. A lot of big names have left, but some huge ones have joined in Eto'o, Diego, Huntelaar and Lucio. Expect the unexpected in this campaign.