Preview: Siena v Sampdoria
Feb/100
Siena v Sampdoria
Sunday 7th February 2010
Stadio Artemio Franchi, Siena
Siena (15th)
Siena were unlucky in their defeat at in-form Roma last time out. They showed character to weather the Roma storm, and fought back from an early goal deficit to go into the final minutes at 1-1. It required a moment of magic from Fulham-bound Stefano Okaka to seal all three points for the giallorossi.
Siena are rock bottom of the league and it is not looking good for them. It is clear where Siena’s problems lie. They have managed to keep only two clean sheets since August. New boss Malesani arrived mid-December and had an immediate short term impact with two wins, but Siena regressed alarmingly quickly and have only managed one league point since their last win on 13th December.
On the positive side, for a bottom team, Siena seem to have no problems scoring goals. It is the other end of the pitch where the problems lie. Only two clean sheets in the league since August tells a damning story. Cribari comes back into defence for this game following suspension, which should bolster their defences. But the brazilian still looks short of the class act he was before sustaining a facial injury for Lazio in the Champions League.
Siena have won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5 at home this season. They are expected to miss Brandao, Rossettini , Parravinci (all injured), Rosi (suspended).
Sampdoria (7th)
Two wins from two games has rejuvenated Samp and they are right back in European contention. Their upturn in form has coincided with the dropping of Cassano. Del Neri can clearly point to these results as full vindication of his decision…but the fans and even his Chairman aren’t necessarily seeing it that way. Of course the two wins may just be because Samp were playing poor opposition.
Fantonio’s withdrawal was initially reported as a minor injury but it is becoming clear now that it was a decision by Del Neri, the reasons for which he is not disclosing. All was clearly not well as Cassano nearly departed for Fiorentina on deadline day. But he stayed, much to the relief of the Sampdoria fans. Now he has proved his commitment will Del Neri give him his place back? And if not, where does this leave Del Neri?
The problem Del Neri has given himself is that he will be very reluctant to change a winning team. This is a fragile team, and one wrong move could lead to another big slump. But there will be huge pressure on Del Neri to include Cassano. If he is brave and refuses, and results don’t go his way…well…rather him than me.
Samp looked OK in the 2-0 win against Atalanta. Guberti and Storari have made an impact following their loan recruitment, and, incredibly, Cassano hasn’t been hugely missed. Pazzini again got on the scoresheet amid the usual rumours linking him with a move. It was Juventus this week.
Sampdora go into this game with an unimpressive away record. Three wins and one draw from eleven games will need improving. But going away to the bottom side is an ideal opportunity to do that.
Padalino is suspended following his late sending off against Atalanta last time out.
Opposition dangerman
Massimo Maccarone needs no introduction to premier league fans, who will remember Middlesboro paying millions for him on the basis of one good Italy under-21 game against England. The bald headed poacher has scored 8 goals in a struggling team this year and will need to be watched.
Head to head
This fixture is evenly split over the last six meetings with two home wins, two draws and two away wins. Samp have the better of the more recent meetings, but last season this game was poor viewing and finished 0-0.
Prediction
The dismal run that preceded Samps last two wins is still fresh in Doria fans minds, and Siena did not disgrace themselves last time out in the Olimpico. Siena are better at home, and Samp are poor away. Samp are lurching from one drama to another off the pitch. So a shock home win or draw are real possibilities here, and should not be discounted.
However Sampdoria really should win this, and from a betting angle look the best bet at the prices. I make them around 45% likely to win which would make fair odds of around 5/4. However they are being priced up at more like 15/8, which looks suspiciously generous. Nevertheless, if Samp can win in the Friuli they can also win in Siena.
Sampdoria to make it three on the bounce.
MUG_OUFC
Sampdoria 2 – 0 Atalanta
Feb/100
Sampdoria grabbed their second win in a row with a comfortable 2 – 0 victory
against Serie A strugglers Atalanta.
The match was played against a backdrop of anger from the home fans towards coach Luigi Del Neri over his treatment of star striker Antonio Cassano.
The talented forward was left out of the squad for last weekend’s victory over Udinese and was left out for this one also.
Sampdoria began on the offensive at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, with Palombo setting up Cassano’s replacement, Nicola Pozzi, for a shot wide from 20 yards.
Palombo then created another chance when he played in Daniele Mannini but his touch was poor and it allowed Andrea Consigli to save easily.
Sampdoria should have taken the lead 15 minutes in when Mannini took advantage of some poor defending to get on the end of Franco Semioli’s cross but Thomas Manfredini cleared off the line.
Atalanta came close moments later, Ernesto Chevanton seeing his header well saved by Marco Storari, before Samp were on the attack again as Pazzini drew a flying stop from Consigli.
Storari had to be alert again to deny Adriano Ferreira Pinto.
On the 36th minute Sampdoria finally opened the scoring.
Semioli’s cross from the left was cleared by Manfredini but only as far as Palombo, who fired the ball from 25 yards into the bottom corner. A fantastic strike.
Sampdoria doubled their lead just before half time.
Semioli brilliantly robbed Gianpaolo Bellini on the right and crossed for Pazzini to finish neatly into the bottom corner. A fine end to the first half for Sampdoria.
The Blucerchiati started the second half brightly too, with Luciano Zauri drawing a decent save from Consigli.
Atalanta tried to respond but Chevanton could only head wide from close range on the hour mark after Jaime Valdes swung in a great cross from the left.
The same player then shot weakly at Storari while a third opening for the striker again saw him fail to make the most of his opportunity.
Atalanta were pushing hard to get back into the game, new signing Nicola Amoruso drew a stunning save from Storari with a close-range header. Storari was having a fine game.
Padalino fired over at the other end while another chance fell to Atalanta when Gyorgy Garics picked out Jose Leonardo Talamonti, who could not hit the target.
Consigli prevented Pozzi making it three with a header from Padalino’s cross.
Sampdoria were reduced to ten men in injury time as padalino was ordered off for dissent.
The victory lifted Sampdoria up to seventh, boosting their chances of securing a European place, while Atalanta remain 19th.
Sampdoria: Storari; Zauri, Lucchini, Rossi, Ziegler (Padalino 80); Semioli, Palombo, Tissone (Poli 60), Mannini (Accardi 71); Pazzini, Pozzi
Goals: Palombo (36), Pazzini (44)
Sent off: Padalino (93)
Atalanta: Consigli; Garics, Talamonti, Manfredini, Bellini; Ferreira Pinto (Ceravolo 75), Zanetti (Valdes 46), Guarente, Padoin; Tiribocchi (Amoruso 64), Chevanton
Lombardo
Garrone supports sidelined Cassano
Jan/100
Sampdoria’s president, Riccardo Garrone has come out in support of Antonio Cassano, after the club’s star player has been sidelined by coach Luigi Del Neri again.
Prior to last weeks match against Udinese there was much confusion over the reason for Cassano’s absence from the team picked to make the trip to Udine. Del Neri maintained that he was making a tactical decision and no other motivation was needed to justify his actions. As it happened Sampdoria showed great character to come from behind twice to win 3-2. The proof is on the pitch, as they say.
The club has gone to great lengths to assure the media that there has been no breakdown between Cassano and Del Neri, saying that the player accepted the coaches decision calmly and maturely. It has been revealed in the Genovese press that Cassano only asked that no excuses were made or lies told about being sidelined through injury. To add to the confusion Cassano has picked up some soreness in a right knee tendon and had a reduced training regime this week, but Del Neri maintained at his Friday press conference that his tactical choice to leave Cassano out remained the same regardless.
Later on in the evening, the Sampdoria President commented whilst attending a sports medicine event in Genova, stating:
“The Cassano situation will be handled with particular attention because he is an extraordinary resource, an extraordinary asset… and I’d never say otherwise. We are watching closely, however Del Neri is the manager and evidently there is full adhesion to his choices and opinions regarding the team from the Administrator and the President.”
He also clearly responded to the questions regarding offers that may have arrived for Cassano in the last few days of the January transfer window, saying:
“They would have to be well above the 20 million euro recessionary clause in his contract and this is also the desire of the player. I don’t think it is possible and given that the market is over in two days time, I don’t see this offer materialising.”
Doc
Preview: Sampdoria v Atalanta
Jan/100
Sampdoria v Atalanta
Sunday 31st January 2010
Luigi Ferraris Stadium, Genoa
Sampdoria (10th)
Sampdoria confounded the doom merchants (me included) last week with a surprise victory in Udine. Twice going behind, the blucerchiati showed immense character to win 3-2 without talisman Antonio Cassano. Is he injured or has he fallen out with Del Neri again? And will he get back into the team anyway now the team is coming off the back of a much needed morale boosting win?
Relegation threatened Atalanta at home looks, on paper anyway, a very winnable fixture for Samp. Sampdoria remain unbeaten at the Marassi, but they are nothing if not unpredictable. Those early season home wins have turned into disappointing draws against teams they should be beating. The home fans are unhappy, with violent protests at the clubs training ground and around the stadium in recent weeks. Samps away win at Udinese may have calmed things down a little, but the performance looked suspiciously like a team relieved to be playing away from the pressure of their own fans.
Doria have a number of attacking players rated as doubtful for the game, including Cassano, Semioli and Guberti. Gastaldello in defence is suspended. So check team news before the game.
Atalanta (19th)
Bergamo’s finest got off to a terrible start to the season, failing to win in their first seven games and they have since gone on to win only four times all season. Second from bottom, Atalanta are in a relegation dogfight. They have showed signs of life in their last three matches, getting a creditable win at home to Lazio and a point in Bologna. However last time out they slumped 2-0 to Genoa in the Marassi.
Atalanta have similarities to Fulham in England, they are traditionally very strong at home but don’t travel well. This season however the opposite is true. A reasonable away record contrasts with the leagues worst home record. This looks like a team who are most dangerous on the counterattack, and this may cause problems for Samps plodding defence.
Samp cannot underestimate the neroazzuri who have taken points from both Milan sides this season.
Legendary Atalanta forward Cristian Doni looks likely to miss out and will be replaced with Javier Chevanton.
Opposition dangerman
Javier Chevanton. With Doni out, much of Atalanta’s attacking ambitions rest on the Uruguayan strikers shoulders.
Head to head
Sampdoria have an excellent record in this fixture having won 5 of the last 6 league meetings in Genoa. Last seasons result was a 1-0 victory thanks to a Pazzini goal set up beautifully by Cassano.
The Odds
Wouldn’t it be just like Sampdoria to follow up a shock victory in Friuli with a loss at home to strugglers Atalanta. And the neroazzuri aren’t bad away from home. If Cassano is out that is a blow, but equally Doni is a huge miss for Atalanta.
The most likely result is a home win, but Sampdoria are odds on with the bookmakers and are not a team to be trusted as favourites…often succumbing to a draw when expected to win at home. However, I make a home win 55% likely which means that any odds over 4/6 look to be worth taking. With bookies pricing up Samp at 9/10 this looks a good price. But its a brave man who backs Samp at odds on in their current form.
The draw is a possibility here as Samp are now struggling to put teams away at home, and at 12/5 this may have a tiny shade of value about it but too risky for me.
Atalanta can pull off a shock here but I’d want to see prices closer to 6/1 for that.
You can also get Pazzini to score anytime at prices of around 11/8 or 5/1 to score first. The marksman is on penalties now, and is the main man with Cassano possibly out, so this looks a reasonable price for fun stakes.
Prediction
SAMPDORIA WIN
MUG_OUFC
Udinese 2 v 3 Sampdoria
Jan/100
Sampdoria Start Their Revival In Udine.
Sampdoria fought back twice to defeat Udinese at the Stadio Friuli despite coach Luigi Del Neri dropping Antonio Cassano for the game.
Match Action: 1st Half
Udinese by far had the best of the first half chances with Antonio Di Natale chipping the ball over the Sampdoria defence for Alexis Sanchez to spring the offside trap, but the young Chilean lost his footing.
Moments later Di Natale sprinted into the box and was brought down by a careless Cacciatore challenge, as Di Natale beautifully dinked the ball past the Samp defender, only to be brought down. Di Natale converted the penalty sending Marco Storari the wrong way for his 13th goal of the season.
It was nearly 2-0 less than a minute later as Sanchez dribbled past two Sampdoria defenders but his pull-back intended for Di Natale was intercepted by Cacciatore.
Gokhan Inler made a good run down the right flank pulled the ball back for Di Natale to fire a stinging shot at Marco Storari’s palms.
Sampdoria against the run of play where then awarded a penalty as Simone Pepe clumsily tripped Nicola Pozzi. Giampaolo Pazzini converted the penalty, which hit the inside of the upright to ricochet in and draw Sampdoria level.
The Blucherciati nearly took the lead when Semioli’s header from quality Ziegler cross caused Handanovic to punch the ball away, very nearly right into the path of Pazzini.
Udinese restored their advantage just before half time with Mauricio Isla’s first ever Serie A goal. He controlled a Aleksandr Lukovic through ball in the D and chipped the ball over a helpless Storari. It was a goal of real quality.
Match Action: 2nd Half
Sampdoria showed great character in the second half and equalized after a misplaced Pazzini shot found the head of Pozzi who forced a good save from Handanovic, but the goalkeeper could do nothing with the rebound which Pozzi converted.
Incredibly and wonderfully for Blucerchiati supporters Sampdoria made it 3-2 with substitute Fernando Tissone’s through ball allowed Semioli to spring the offside trap down the left flank, control the ball and thump an angled drive into the corner.
Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez was livid when he was booked for diving after clashing with Gastaldello in the penalty area. Antonio Floro Flores pounced on a poor Luciano Zauri backpass, but Storari rushed out to clear off his feet. Sampdoria nearly made it four with Tissone again cutting open the Udinese defence with a lethal through ball for Pazzini who fired straight at Handanovic.
The win moves Sampdoria up to tenth, but leaves Udinese only one point above the dreaded relegation zone.
Di Natale pen 7 (U), Pazzini pen 27 (S), Isla 44 (U), Pozzi 57 (S), Semioli 66 (S)
phil_c64
Preview: Udinese v Sampdoria
Jan/100
Udinese v Sampdoria
Sunday 24th January 2010
Friuli, Udine
Udinese (15th)
Like Samp, Udinese have frozen this Winter having won only once in the league since October. Giovanni De Biasi has been in charge for a month but seems to have had little impact, having only managed one coppa Italia victory. And everyone knows they don’t count.
Last time out Udinese picked up what looks like a solid point away to Parma. However Udinese were quite fortunate to find themselves playing against ten men for a large proportion of the game. And despite Parma being ham-pered by this ham-dicap, they still had chances to win including a missed penalty.
At home Udinese’s last fixture saw points shared with what at the time looked an improving Lazio side. Preceding this Udinese slumped to three straight away defeats to mostly poor opposition.
Udinese are a typical mid-table Italian side, picking up enough points at home to avoid slipping into the relegation battle, while ritually losing and drawing away from home. But having played four of their last five games away from home, Udinese’s recent form may be a little skewed. They will be glad to get back to the Friuli where they have only lost twice this season.
As of Thursday morning, Udinese appear to have no new injury or suspension concerns coming into this game. Gokhan Inler returns to the fold in midfield.
Sampdoria (13th)
Sampdoria’s decline from the heady heights of the beginning of the season has been dramatic. One win in twelve, with seven defeats, leaves Samp suddenly looking nervously down the table rather than optimistically up.
What has happened to Sampdoria? At the start of the season they were top and had beaten Inter. Now they are 13th and dropping quicker than Cristiano Ronaldo under a slightly heavy challenge. The truth of how good Samp really are is probably somewhere in between the two extremes, but there is no doubt their current run of results is relegation form.
Last time out Sampdoria slumped to a desperately disappointing home draw with unfancied Catania, having gone behind early to a Llama free kick. This certainly gave the Marassi faithful the hump and they made their feelings known at the end of the game. Astonishing reports that Pazzini and Mannini were attacked by unhappy Doria fans after the match indicates exactly how bad things have got. Rumours that Mannini tried to fight back but couldn’t beat the first man are unsubstantiated.
Morale in the camp has got to be rock bottom, and a tough looking trip to provincial Udine is not favourable for any team this low on confidence.
Sampdoria’s away form has been desperate this season, particularly so in recent games with six straight away defeats. On current form, if Sampdoria played against themselves outside of Marassi, both teams would lose.
Nevertheless, there were promising debuts for on-loan pair Marco Storari in goal and Stefano Guberti in midfield in the Catania game, and despite the poor results Sampdoria haven’t been on the end of any big defeats. Yet.
Antonio Cassano is reported as being doubtful for the game with a ‘minor’ injury. Samp can ill afford to be without him and may press him into service in spite of the injury. If he does miss out, this is a serious blow.
Opposition dangerman
Antonio Di Natale. Despite his 5 foot 7 inches, the 32 year old skilful forward and captain hasnt come up short this season with 12 goals to his name.
Head to head
Udinese have the advantage at home with three wins, two draws and one defeat in the last six years. Sampdoria haven’t won in Udine since 2004. Last seasons this fixture finished 1-1, almost exactly 12 months ago and with both teams in similar runs of form.
Prediction
Two teams who can’t win face each other here, and therefore it is logical that a draw wouldn’t be the most surprising result, especially in view of last seasons draw in similar circumstances.
However, home advantage and comparative home/away form should not be ignored and on both these counts Udinese have the clear advantage. If Cassano is out for Samp, this strengthens the case for a home win and more misery for Sampdoria fans.
Udinese to win
MUG_OUFC
ucsampdoria.co.uk
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