Giampaolo calls on Samp to be “competitive” ahead of Torino clash

After a three-week break, slightly longer than usual, owing to the international break and the postponement of Sampdoria v Roma, Marco Giampaolo’s men are ready for action once again.

Doria travel to Turin to take on Torino, in the first of two straight away games. Following wins in their first two matches, the Samp boss says the upcoming clash is an opportunity to see where they stand.

“We’ll be facing a team that will show us who we are,” he said during the news conference ahead of the game.

“The Granata have changed very little, bringing in good replacements for those who left, and they’ll try and consolidate what they achieved last season.

“We’ll go to Turin with great respect for our opponents but in full knowledge of what we’re capable of. Our training sessions over the last two weeks have been of a very high level, so I expect to see a competitive Samp on show.

When speaking to journalists, Giampaolo touched on a few questions surrounding the line-up.

“The quality of our squad has improved since last season and, as a result, there is more competition within the team.

“Players such as [Ivan] Strinic and [Duvan] Zapata have come in and are ready to perform, others such as [Joachim] Andersen need more time.

“I’m a fan of the youngster, particularly given the focus he shows in training sessions. He’s similar in make up to [Milan] Skriniar. For a defender that’s a great starting point,” he said.