Giampaolo left ruing bad luck: “Huge disappointment but this is the Samp I know”

Following a first half spent trying to starve Leonardo Pavoletti and others of their supply line, Samp came alive in the second half and even could have won it had Dawid Kownacki’s penalty found the corner.

“The disappointment is that we didn’t win it in the 91st minute,” Marco Giampaolo commented in post-match, “especially given we lost in that minute four days ago when we deserved more.

“It was an even match tonight, both sides dominated for a half. Cagliari were more aggressive in the first half, while we grew into the contest in the second. We had the chance to win the game, even before injury time, as I thought Defrel could have had another penalty.

“We could have had three more points this week, which is a shame,” the Blucerchiati head coach concluded. “In the second half, Samp played like the team I know. The team did well and even exceeded expectations in terms of their fitness.”