Ranieri eyes return to winning ways against Parma

Sampdoria are ready to put back-to-back league and cup defeats at Cagliari behind them when they host Parma at the Stadio Ferraris on Sunday. Claudio Ranieri knows how much his side need a win to bounce back but he’s equally aware of the threat posed by Roberto D’Aversa’s men.

Speaking at a media conference on Saturday, the boss explained: “The two defeats to Cagliari haven’t affected us unduly. The players have trained well and understand how important this match is but we need to be very careful if we want to win it.”

Heading into their third game in a week, the Blucerchiati have only had two days to recover from Thursday’s cup outing in Sardinia but will need to re-energise quickly if they’re to keep Parma quiet on Sunday.

“Parma move very well as a team and keep the ball on the deck,” Ranieri continued. “They’re very strong down the right with [Matteo] Darmian and [Dejan] Kulusevski. Gervinho is unpredictable and they’re dangerous in attack with the likes of [Andreas] Cornelius and [Juraj] Kucka. We’ll need to play the perfect game if we want to come away with the three points. “

Meanwhile Fabio Quagliarella has extended his contract with Sampdoria until 30 June 2021 – a fillip for the entire team, says the coach.

“Fabio’s renewal is good news for everyone and ensures continuity. He was back among the goals last week but I think this will give him even more peace of mind.”