Deserved Samp victory brings survival closer into view, Muriel and Fernando with the goals

Sampdoria took one step closer to staving off the threat of relegation with a much-deserved win over Udinese. Second-half goals from Luis Muriel and Fernando ensured Vincenzo Montella’s men bank a vital three points.

The Blucerchiati boss opted to pair Muriel with Fabio Quagliarella up front against their former employees and gave the nod to Edgar Barreto, Nenad Krsticic and Modibo Diakite. Ricky Alvarez wasn’t declared fit enough to be in the squad, while Niklas Moisander and Roberto Soriano kept their spots in the starting line-up.

It took no time at all for the action to begin at a Stadio Luigi Ferraris bathed in sunshine, Francesco Lodi releasing Cyril Thereau in the game’s opening exchanges only for the Frenchman to shoot wide. Sampdoria responded immediately in kind, but efforts from Quagliarella and Dodo were off-target.

Quagliarella was on song throughout, producing a vintage performance that deserved a goal. He almost pulled off an audacious shot from near the halfway line in the ninth minute and followed that up with a delightful overhead kick in the 24th minute – Orestis Karnezis equal to Samp’s No.27 on both occasions. He was inches away from giving his side the lead five minutes later, his control and volley from outside the area kissing the top of the bar.

Duvan Zapata for Udinese and Muriel for Sampdoria both came close with headers in great positions towards the end of the first half, but neither could convert and the teams went in at the break all-square.

Quagliarella continued to provide Samp’s biggest threat after the restart, turning provider in the 54th minute with a neat cut-back that Lorenzo De Silvestri stabbed wide.

The atmosphere at Marassi was heating up as the fans sensed a goal was on the horizon and it eventually came in the 57th minute. There was a heavy slice of good fortune as Muriel broke into the box and unleashed a cross-shot which took a deflection off Pablo Armero and snuck inside the near post. Nevertheless, it was just reward for Doria’s superiority. Soriano could have doubled Samp’s advantage moments later, but the Udinese keeper did well to smother his shot one-on-one.

Both coaches began to ring the changes midway through the second half, with Montella sending on Antonio Cassano for a lively Muriel. Fantantonio had an immediate effect on the contest, setting up Dodo who was felled in the area prompting Blucerchiati protests for a penalty, but referee Carmine Russo waved play on.

Two negatives from the afternoon were Andrea Ranocchia’s yellow card in the 74th minute ruling him out of the AC Milan game and David Ivan’s injury moments later that forced him off just minutes after coming on a sub.

There was still a quarter of an hour left to hold out and Sampdoria weren’t content to sit back and protect their lead. In the 80th minute, the two veterans of the side – Quagliarella and Cassano – combined to free up Fernando who smashed home from the edge of the area in front of the Gradinata Sud.

Emiliano Viviano looked dead-set on keeping a clean sheet at the other end of the pitch, producing a couple of fine saves to keep Udinese out in the dying moments of the contest.

The final whistle came after six minutes of injury time and Sampdoria were able to celebrate a huge victory that goes a long way to securing their spot in Serie A next season.

Sampdoria 2-0 Udinese (HT: 0-0)

Scorers: Muriel 57, Fernando 80.

Sampdoria (3-5-2): Viviano; Diakite, Ranocchia, Moisander; De Silvestri, Soriano (Ivan 71, Fernando 75), Krsticic, Barreto, Dodo; Muriel (Cassano 65), Quagliarella.
Subs not used: Puggioni, Brignoli, Rodriguez, Palombo, Christodoulopoulos, Silvestre, Skriniar.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella.

Udinese (3-5-2): Karnezis; Heurtaux (Edenilson 75), Danilo, Piris (Wague 68); Widmer, Lodi, Kuzmanovic, Hallfredsson (Matos 62), Armero; Théréau, Zapata.
Subs not used: Romo, Meret, Domizzi, Perica, Pasquale, Felipe, Iñíguez, Balic.
Coach: Luigi De Canio.

Referee: Carmine Russo (Nola).
Assistants: Valerio Pegorin (Latina) and Claudio La Rocca (Ercolano).
Fourth official: Stefano Alassio (Imperia).
Additional assistants: Daniele Doveri (Rome 1) and Juan Luca Sacchi (Macerata).

Yellow cards: Kuzmanovic 40, Moisander 43, Muriel 46, Diakite 67, Ranocchia 74.

Injury time: 2+6 minutes.

Attendance: 19,114 season-tickets holders (gate receipts of €152,366), 1501 matchday tickets (gate receipts of €30,735).

Pitch surface: Good condition.