Superb Samp performance shocks Roma at the Olimpico

Sampdoria won a thrilling encounter at the Stadio Olimpico this evening, deservedly beating Roma 1-0 in a match where the scoreline belied the excitement on show.

Fixtures between the Blucerchiati and the Giallorossi are rarely dull affairs, and tonight was certainly no exception, as the teams fought it out for 90 intense minutes.

Marco Giampaolo decided not to risk Fabio Quagliarella and instead partnered Duvan Zapata with Gianluca Caprari up front, with Gaston Ramirez in the hole behind them. The change appeared to be immediately justified, as Samp got off to a roaring start.

Ramirez warmed Roma goalkeeper Alisson’s hands up with a free-kick in the eighth minute, and from there the Brazilian was called into action at frequent intervals. The Uruguayan had Alisson scrambling to tip a cross-cum-shot over the bar in the 17th minute and then Edgar Barreto saw his low drive touched around the post from the resulting corner.

It was all plain sailing for Doria, until Bartosz Bereszynski inadvertently handled a shot from Cengiz Under, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot seven minutes from half-time. However, if you were thinking Emiliano Viviano’s relative inactivity compared to his opposite number had translated into a loss of concentration, you’d be wrong. Viviano guessed the right way on Alessandro Florenzi and tipped his penalty over the bar.

After half-time, the keeping roles were temporarily reversed, as Viviano was now required to keep his team in the game as Roma peppered his goal with shots. Samp’s No.2 proved equal to everything thrown at him, even showing great bravery in doing so when Under fired a close-range effort straight at his face.

It seemed that the Blucerchiati had ridden the storm and began to assert themselves back on the contest. The breakthrough came in the 80th minute when Nicola Murru on the left wing swung in a delightful ball to Zapata arriving at the back post. The Colombian met the ball on the half-volley, leaving Alisson with no chance and sending the travelling fans into rapture.

Roma tried to set up a siege at the end, but their attacks lacked an edge faced with a well-organised Doria defence.

When the final whistle came, the palpable sense was this was a match Samp fully deserved to win.

Roma 0-1 Sampdoria (HT: 0-0)

Roma (4-3-3): Alisson; Florenzi, Manolas, J. Jesus, Kolarov; Pellegrini, Strootman, Nainggolan; Under (Perotti, 72), Dzeko (25, 70), El Shaarawy (Antonucci, 78).
Subs not used: Lobont, Skorupski, H. Moreno, De Rossi, Fazio, B. Peres, Gerson, Emerson.
Coach: Giampaolo.

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Viviano; Bereszynski, Silvestre, Ferrari, Murru; Barreto, Torreira (Capezzi, 86), Linetty; Ramírez (Alvarez, 72); Caprari (Kownacki, 62), Zapata.
Subs not used: Puggioni, Tozzo, Andersen, Sala, Tomic, Strinic, Regini, Verre, Quagliarella.
Coach: Giampaolo.

Referee: Luca Banti.
Assistants: Gianluca Vuoto and Filippo Valeriani.
Fourth official: Juan Luca Sacchi.
VAR official: Davide Massa.
VAR assistant: Niccolo Baroni.

Yellow cards: Bereszynski 38, Kolarov 57, Florenzi 80, Murru 87
Additional time: 0+5 minutes