Sampdoria’s bid to ensure Serie A survival continues on Sunday as they welcome high-flying Roma to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Both sides headed into March’s international break in high spirits, reinforcing the prospect of a high-octane drama in Genoa.
A quick-fire first-half double catapulted Sampdoria to a 2-0 win at fellow bottom-half rivals Venezia on the cusp of the international. After ending a frustrating run of three consecutive league defeats, Marco Giampaolo’s men will hope to remain on the upwards trajectory and maintain a seven-point cushion on the drop zone.
On the other hand, Roma utterly outclassed arch-rivals Lazio last time out. Jose Mourinho’s side notched up a stunning three first-half goals to set the tone for an overwhelming 3-0 win in the latest installment of the famous Derby della Capitale. The Giallorossi now look firmly on course to land a coveted European qualification.
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Sampdoria
Giampaolo’s formula for success at Ferraris involves defensive stability and lethal finishing. Each of Sampdoria’s three Serie A victories under Giampaolo’s stewardship came by 2+ goals ‘to nil,’ highlighting the importance of a flying start. Yet, it’s worth noting that all three arrived against sides ranked below Roma in the standings.
It’s been ‘all or nothing’ for Sampdoria in recent Serie A outings. They have not drawn any of their last 11 league matches, registering three wins and eight defeats in that period. Encouragingly, though, they have enjoyed a slight upturn in form under Giampaolo.
La Samp have racked up an average of 1.13 points per Serie A game under Giampaolo, compared to 0.91 under his predecessor Roberto D’Aversa. Yet, only six sides have gained fewer points than Sampdoria (9) since the 52-year-old re-signed for the club in mid-January.
Roma
Although the odds are stacked against Sampdoria, Roma have developed a habit of faltering at Ferraris. The Giallorossi have gone winless in ten of their last 12 Serie A visits to this venue (D5, L5), drawing a blank in the most recent two.
However, Mourinho’s men head to Genoa amid a purple patch after racking up an eye-catching nine-game unbeaten streak in Serie A (W5, D4). The last time Roma had enjoyed a ten-match undefeated run in Italy’s top-flight was in 2015/16, so there is a piece of history up for grabs.
After being held to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma face the prospect of going winless in both seasonal league meetings with Sampdoria for the first time since 2017/18. Having alternated between winning and not winning across their last 11 Serie A travels (W5, D1, L5), they should feel worried.
Sampdoria vs Roma Team News
Manolo Gabbiadini and Mikkel Damsgaard are still unavailable due to injuries, but Sampdoria will have Francesco Caputo and Abdelhamid Sabiri ready to fill the void. The former has hit his stride of late, scoring three goals in his last three Serie A appearances.
Giampaolo has received another injury boost ahead of the weekend, as Albin Ekdal recovered from a minor physical problem to make himself available for selection.
Creative midfielder Jordan Veretout will miss out after testing positive for Covid-19. However, Gianluca Mancini has overcome an injury that forced him off against North Macedonia during the international break, handing Roma a massive injury boost.
According to Tribal Football, Leonardo Spinazzola is nearing recovery. The attacking-minded full-back was one of Italy’s best-performing stars at Euro 2020 before picking up a nasty knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines this entire season.
Sampdoria Potential Starting XI (4-3-2-1): Emil Audero; Bartosz Bereszynski, Alex Ferrari, Omar Colley, Nicola Murru; Morten Thorsby, Albin Ekdal, Antonio Candreva; Stefano Sensi, Abdelhamid Sabiri; Francesco Caputo.
Roma Potential Starting XI (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio; Gianluca Mancini, Roger Ibanez, Chris Smalling; Rick Karsdorp, Sergio Oliveira, Bryan Cristante, Nicola Zalewski; Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Lorenzo Pellegrini; Tammy Abraham.