Saturday’s Serie A action rounds off at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris as relegation-battling Sampdoria and defending champions Milan go head-to-head. The two perennial top-flight tenants will square off in contrasting circumstances in a potentially career-defining fixture for home manager Marco Giampaolo.
After helping Sampdoria maintain their top-flight status by the finest of margins last season, Giampaolo has bought some credit in Genoa. However, the Ferraris chiefs are running out of patience following La Samp’s thoroughly underwhelming league start. Winless in their opening five Serie A games (D2, L3), the hosts look to be bracing themselves for another season-long fight against relegation.
By contrast, Milan came from behind to defeat arch-rivals Inter 3-2 in last weekend’s Derby della Madonnina and keep their 100% unbeaten Serie A start intact (W3, D2). Unfortunately, Stefano Pioli’s side failed to transfer that momentum to the European front, drawing 1-1 at Red Bull Salzburg in midweek Champions League action.
Milan are, nonetheless, in a prime position to resume their stellar league form in 2022, having lost just once in Serie A since the turn of the year. Indeed, Sampdoria’s woeful showings early in the season suggest they are no match for the high-flying Rossoneri at the moment. Let’s see what our preview has to say about this encounter.
Match Preview
Sampdoria
Fate has strange ways, and bringing Milan to Giampaolo’s doorstep in these tumultuous times could be Lady Luck’s way to toy with the experienced tactician. In a bizarre twist, the 55-year-old’s former employers could spell the end of his ill-fated managerial tenure at Ferraris.
Alongside Bologna and Empoli, Sampdoria are the only remaining perennial Serie A tenants yet to win a single league match in 2022/23. La Samp thought they were on the cusp of turning their form around at Hellas Verona last weekend.
Yet Verona’s quick-fire response canceled out Francesco Caputo’s opener, inflicting a 2-1 defeat on the Genoa-based outfit. Another frustrating result at Marc’Antonio Bentegodi marked Sampdoria’s 16th Serie A loss in 2022, with only Ligue 1 strugglers Montpellier losing as many top-flight matches across Europe’s top-five leagues this year.
Milan
Milan may be coming into proceedings unbeaten in Serie A this term, but their performances before last weekend’s derby had flattered to deceive. The Rossoneri can still fall back on their sensational domestic form in 2022, which has seen them lose just one league game since the turn of the year. Indeed, no other side across Europe’s top-five divisions can match that feat.
However, after drawing all three competitive away fixtures in 2022/23, Pioli’s lads will be out to buck that trend. Safe in the knowledge they have won all three previous Serie A visits to Sampdoria after leading at halftime ‘to nil.’ Milan will be confident about clawing their way back to the top of the standings.
With just two points separating them from top-placed Atalanta, Milan are aiming to win back-to-back Serie A titles for the first time in the 21st century. Team spirit and mental fortitude are keys to any success, and Pioli’s men seem to have that in abundance. The visitors’ tremendous willpower has seen them battle back from losing positions to avoid defeat in all four such matches this season (W2, D2).
Team News
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Harry Winks should be on the bench due to a minor injury but could still make his Serie A debut. Sampdoria will otherwise have all heavy hitters fit and ready for this clash.
Unlike their hosts, Milan boss Pioli has several injury concerns in his camp. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Florenzi face lengthy spells on the sidelines, with Ante Rebic and Rade Krunic likely to stay out for this fixture.
Sampdoria vs Milan Potential Line-ups
Sampdoria (4-1-4-1): Emil Audero; Bartosz Bereszynski, Omar Colley, Bruno Amione, Tommaso Augello; Ronaldo Vieira; Abdelhamid Sabiri, Gonzalo Villar, Tomas Rincon, Filip Djuricic; Francesco Caputo.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Ismael Bennacer, Sandro Tonali; Junior Messias, Charles De Ketelaere, Rafael Leao; Olivier Giroud.