Record run at Marassi. Goals from Linetty, Torreira and Zapata as Samp dispatch Chievo

Sampdoria recorded a club record fifth straight home league win from the start of the season with a 4-1 victory over Chievo.

The big team news came between the sticks as Emiliano Viviano was back in from the start for the first time in 197 days. Much like the Crotone game, Giampaolo opted to play Gianluca Caprari just off Duvan Zapata and Fabio Quagliarella.

After a relatively quiet start, it was the visitors who had the first opening. Valter Birsa got to the by-line and picked out Riccardo Meggiorini who narrowly failed to slot into the far corner. Samp had another scare on 16 minutes, Samuel Bastien shooting off-target from Meggiorini’s pass after good defensive pressure from Jacopo Sala.

It was the hosts however who broke the deadlock, Karol Linetty breaking into the box to tuck home a loose ball with his left foot for his third goal in as many games at Marassi.

The Gialloblu were having none of it though and Birsa very nearly levelled with his head. The equaliser did eventually arrive, former Samp servant Fabrizio Cacciatore applying the finishing touch from Birsa’s corner on 24 minutes.

Doria may well have been stunned by the equaliser but it didn’t show. Lucas Torreira took charge of a free-kick and picked out the top corner from 25 yards to give Samp back the lead. What a way for the Uruguayan to open his account in Serie A.

Rolando Maran’s side certainly didn’t lie down, going a whisker away from making it 2-2 via the in-form Meggiorini. Inglese then brought the best out of Viviano seven minutes before the break. Massimo Gobbi tried his luck twice with his left foot but thankfully the home team held firm.

Fail to take your chances and you will be made to punish, Zapata finishing a move started by Caprari and developed by Quagliarella. That sent the hosts in at the break leading 3-1.

Inglese and Caprari showed the contest was still up for grabs early in the second period, before Zapata shot off target from distance on 55 minutes. Marco Giampaolo made his first change on the hour mark, introducing Gaston Ramirez for Caprari and the Uruguayan number 10 saw a left-foot volley kept out by Sorrentino in the Chievo goal.

Rolando Maran was dismissed for dissent on 72 minutes but not before he had brought on Sergio Pellisser for Meggiorini as one final throw of the dice. But it was all in vain as Torreira capped a perfect display with his second and Samp’s fourth from a corner. VAR had a second look at the incident after the midfielder’s effort caught Gian Marco Ferrari on the way through. Mr Doveri listened to his colleagues before awarding the goal. All that was left was the final whistle on a record-breaking afternoon.

Sampdoria 4-1 ChievoVerona (HT: 3-1)
Goalscorers: Linetty 20, Cacciatore 24, Torreira 26, 85, Zapata 44.

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Viviano; Sala, Silvestre, Ferrari, Strinic; Praet (Barreto 67), Torreira, Linetty (Verre 88); Caprari (Ramirez 61); Zapata, Quagliarella.
Subs not used: Puggioni, Tozzo, Dodô, Alvarez, Regini, Bereszynski, Capezzi, Murru, Kownacki.
Coach: Giampaolo.

ChievoVerona (4-3-1-2): Sorrentino; Cacciatore, Dainelli, Tomovic, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic (Pucciarelli 83), Bastien (Garritano 76); Birsa; Inglese, Meggiorini (Pellissier 70).
Subs not used: Seculin, Confente, Jaroszwski, N. Rigoni, Gamberini, Gaudino, Cesar, Bani, Depaoli.
Coach: Maran.

Referee: Doveri.
Assistants: Valeriani & Rocca.
Fourth official: Saia.
VAR: Manganiello.
VAR assistant: Di Fiore.

Booked: Castro 26, Praet 40, Dainelli 60, Cacciatore 72, Linetty 78.
Added time: 0+5 minutes.