Sampdoria offer up toothless performance as Genoa take derby spoils

Sampdoria limped to a fully deserved, but nonetheless equally painful, 3-0 defeat against cross-city rivals Genoa in their last home game of the season.

There was barely time for the Blucerchiati to settle themselves before a fired-up Genoa side had taken the lead. Cristian Ansaldi found Leonardo Pavoletti at the near post after three minutes and the Italian forward was able to get in front of Emiliano Viviano to slot home for 1-0. Things got worse in the 26th minute when Suso cut into the box and curled a shot into the bottom corner to give the Rossoblu a 2-0 lead at the break.

After half-time Fabio Quagliarella tried his luck with a volley on the turn but the stand-in Genoa goalkeeper was equal to that as well.

The Blucerchiati poured forward in attack searching for a foothold back into the game, leaving themselves exposed at the back and Diego Laxalt seized the opportunity on the counter. Viviano did brilliantly to halt the Uruguayan in his stride, but the ball popped out to Suso who merely had to pass it into an open net for his second of the game.

The closest Vincenzo Montella’s men came to scoring was when Fernando hit the bar in the dying moments of the game.

Some comfort can be drawn from the fact that other results went Doria’s way this afternoon meaning the club is now mathematically safe from relegation. With our Serie A status secured for 2016/17 secured, the club can begin to plan for the future.

Sampdoria 0-3 Genoa (HT: 0-2)

Scorers: Pavoletti 3, Suso 26 and 74.

Sampdoria (3-5-2): Viviano; Diakité, Silvestre, Cassani; De Silvestri (Correa 57), Soriano, Palombo (Sala 73), Fernando, Dodô; Cassano, Quagliarella (Muriel 85).
Subs: Puggioni, Brignoli, Barreto, Pereira, Ranocchia, Christodoulopoulos, Alvarez, Skriniar, Ivan.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella.

Genoa (3-4-2-1): Lamanna; Izzo, Burdisso, De Maio; Ansaldi, Rincon, Dzemaili (G. Silva 66), Laxalt; Suso (Muñoz 87), Rigoni (Tachtsidis 54); Pavoletti.
Subs: A. Donnarumma, Sommariva, Marchese, Capel, Ntcham, Pandev, Lazovic, Fiammozzi, Matavz.
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.

Referee: Banti.
Assistants: Tonolini and Vuoto.
Fourth official: Marrazzo.
Additional assistants: Massa and Mariani.

Yellow cards: Viviano 27, Izzo 32, De Maio 35, Diakite 55, Soriano 58, Rincon 60, Burdisso 68, Fernando 72, Sala 78.

Injury time: 0+3 minutes.

Attendance: 15,153 season-tickets holders (gate receipts of €131,179), 16,403 matchday tickets (gate receipts of €489,455).

Pitch surface: Good condition.