Samp slip to first home defeat after Lazio comeback

Sampdoria fell to a first league defeat at Marassi on Sunday night as they were beaten 2-1 by Lazio in Week 15 of Serie A.

Marco Giampaolo’s side looked to be heading for another impressive result after Duvan Zapata fired Doria ahead on 56 minutes, but first Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and then Felipe Caicedo in the final minute of regulation time secured the three points for Simone Inzaghi’s Biancocelesti.

The Blucerchiati began the game brightly, with Zapata, Gaston Ramirez and Edgar Barreto all enjoying chances inside the first ten minutes. There were openings too for Lazio, most notably for Marco Parolo and Ciro Immobile, but this was a finely poised affair.

The chances came thick and fast at both ends, but Samp had Bartosz Bereszynski to thank for keeping the scores level after Emiliano Viviano’s initial save from Immobile fell to Luis Alberto, with the Pole blocking the Lazio man’s follow-up on the line.

Samp started quickly after the break, but it was Lazio who had the best chance of the opening period as Parolo watched a shot bounce clean back off the post for Emiliano Viviano to gather.

Three minutes later, however, Samp were in front. Fabio Quagliarella showed great awareness to nod a cross down into the path of Duvan Zapata, who – from a plum position in the middle of the box – slotted home to send Marassi wild.

It was nearly 2-0 seconds later as the ball ricocheted dangerously around the Lazio box, but Inzaghi’s men were able to clear.

A slew of changes followed, with Inzaghi sending on Patric, Felipe Caicedo and Jordan Lukaku into the fray. And the fresh legs seemed to have the desired effect as Lazio drew level on 80 minutes after Milinkovic-Savic pounced on a loose ball in the Samp box, lashing it back across goal and into the roof of the net.

Suddenly, Lazio were on the front foot with Samp looking to hunker down and hold on for a point. Yet the momentum was firmly with the visitors and they struck again in the 90th minute of the match as Milinkovic-Savic found Caicedo free in front of goal, with the Ecuadorian duly obliging. Referee Paolo Mazzoleni waited for confirmation from VAR, then signalled the goal and with it the end of Samp’s winning run at home this season.

Sampdoria 1-2 Lazio (HT: 0-0)
Scorers: Zapata 56, Milinkovic-Savic 80, Caicedo 90.

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Viviano; Bereszynski, Silvestre, Ferrari, Murru; Barreto, Torreira, Praet (Verre 84); Ramirez (Alvarez 77); Quagliarella (Kownacki 70), Zapata.
Subs not used: Puggioni, Tozzo, Andersen, Dodo, Sala, Caprari, Djuricic, Regini, Capezzi.
Coach: Marco Giampaolo.

Lazio (3-5-1-1): Strakosha; Bastos (Patric 62), De Vrij, Radu; Marusic, Parolo, Leiva (Caicedo 75), Milinkovic, Lulic (Lukaku 75); L. Alberto; Immobile.
Subs not used: Guerrieri, Vargic, Basta, Felipe, Palombi, Neto, Murgia.
Coach: Simone Inzaghi.

Referee: Mazzoleni (Bergamo).
Assistants: Tegoni (Milan), Di Vuolo (Castellammare di Stabia).
Fourth official: Manganiello (Pinerolo).
VAR: Giacomelli (Trieste).
VAR assistant: Vuoto (Livorno).

Yellow cards: Immobile 90+3;
Added time: 0 + 3 minutes.