Claudio Marchisio has voiced his delight with Juventus' 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana victory over Lazio, claiming the Scudetto holders have silenced their critics.
The Turin side lost the likes of Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Carlos Tevez this summer and a number of pundits suggested that the Bianconeri's cycle of success might be coming to an end.
Hoewever, new signings Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala both netted in the comfortable win over Lazio and Marchisio feels that Massimiliano Allegri's men proved that they remain the team to beat in Serie A.
"There were people out there who thought everything would be much more complicated for us after we lost some important players," Marchisio told Tuttosport.
"Those players who were not at Juventus last season gave the perfect response by scoring both goals.
"The win over Lazio was an important signal to those who claimed our cycle is over. Of course, we are still only at the start of the season, but it has been a positive start.
"We still have room for improvement, but that's only normal. The match against Lazio was a final and finals are all about winning. That was what mattered most."