Samp put four past Bologna on night Quagliarella makes history

It was time. Time to get back to winning ways after a November devoid of three points. Time to get back into the top half of the table. Time to get back to being the real Samp. And so it was on a cold December night in Marassi as goals from Dennis Praet, Gaston Ramirez and two by Fabio Quagliarella put Bologna to the sword: 4-1 the final score.

Sampdoria were in front after just ten minutes. Ramirez wrested the ball away from Andrea Poli and played in Gianluca Caprari, who burst into the box and set up Praet for an easy finish at the back post – the perfect way to celebrate his new contract.

Bologna responded and Federico Santander forced Emil Audero into a diving save in the 16th minute. However, a minute later the Samp No.1 was powerless to prevent former Doria man Poli turning in at the far post – with the defence not entirely blameless.

The scores didn’t remain level for long as Ramirez’s harrying again bore fruit – this time on Erick Pulgar. Quagliarella was the beneficiary as he fired in his sixth of the season.

Five minutes before half time it was 3-1. Caprari played Ramirez into space and the Uruguayan beat Lukasz Skorupski with a calm finish.

Albin Ekdal came on in place of Rolando Vieira to face his former club on the hour mark shortly before Ladislav Krejci wasted a great chance to reduce the arrears.

Five minutes later Gregoire Defrel replaced Caprari but it was his veteran strike partner who again did what he does best, latching onto Karol Linetty’s pass on the left and slotting home his second of the game.

The Gradinata Sud hailed the captain after his 55th goal for the club, which puts him level with Giancarlo Salvi as Sampdoria’s seventh highest goalscorer of all time.

Doria returned to three-point land and did so in convincing fashion. It’s good to have you back.

Sampdoria 4-1 Bologna (HT 3-1)
Scorers: Praet 10, Poli 17, Quagliarella 25, 68, Ramírez 40.

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Audero; Bereszynski, Tonelli, Andersen, Murru; Praet, Vieira (Ekdal 62), Linetty (Jankto 84); Ramírez; Caprari (Defrel 65), Quagliarella.
Subs not used: Rafael, Belec, Saponara, Sala, Colley, Tavares, Ferrari, Rolando, Kownacki.
Coach: Giampaolo.

Bologna (3-5-2): Skorupski; Calabresi (Orsolini 63), Danilo, Helander; Mattiello, Poli (Nagy 84), Pulgar, Svanberg, Krejci; Falcinelli (Palacio 56), Santander.
Subs not used: Da Costa, Gonzalez, De Maio, Paz, Mbaye, Donsah, Destro, Okwonkwo, Dijks.
Coach: F. Inzaghi.

Referee: Abisso (Palermo).
Assistants: Tolfo (Pordenone) & Liberti (Pisa).
Fourth official: Sacchi (Macerata).
VAR: Chiffi (Padova).
VAR assistant: Meli (Parma).

Booked: Calabresi 53, Tonelli 55, Santander 77, Linetty 78, Bereszynski 88.
Added time: 0+2 minutes.
Attendance: 17,057 season tickets (€170,851), 802 individual tickets (€17,795).
Pitch: good condition.