First-half blitz sees Samp power past SPAL at Marassi
Sampdoria scored three goals in the first 45 minutes as they beat SPAL 3-0 in a crucial game at Marassi on Sunday evening.
With Samp lining up with the same eleven that beat Lecce on Wednesday, Karol Linetty set Claudio Ranieri’s men on their way after just 12 minutes, slotting past Karlo Letica in the SPAL goal with a left-footed strike.
Linetty could have made it 2-0 soon afterwards, but his right-footed volley didn’t trouble Letica after a nice piece of control with his chest. SPAL kept the Doria defence on their toes down at the other end, however, with former Samp player Jacopo Sala going close on 17 minutes and Emil Audero denying Gabriel Strefezza’s header five minutes later.
A flowing move from Samp nearly brought the second goal on 37 minutes, but Jakub Jankto’s looped ball from the left found Gaston Ramirez on his weaker side and the Uruguayan couldn’t apply the finish. Doria were pushing hard for their second, though, and were handed a chance to get it after winning a free-kick in a dangerous position on the stroke of half time. Manolo Gabbiadini stepped up to try his luck – and promptly curled the ball in off the post to give Doria a commanding 2-0 lead before half time.
And yet Samp weren’t done there. With the last few seconds of first-half stoppage time ticking away, Doria broke at speed. Ramirez barrelled down the left, finding Linetty unmarked in the box. The Pole made no mistake, dispatching the ball into the back of the net to put Samp 3-0 up at the halfway point.
The second half brought a re-energised performance from SPAL. Audero was forced to show quick reactions to deny Alessandro Murgia from close range after ten minutes, with Tommaso Augello clearing the danger definitively.
Ranieri turned to his bench, replacing Andrea Bertolacci and Gabbiadini with Kristoffer Askildsen and Antonino La Gumina first, then Ramirez and Jankto with Mehdi Leris and Fabio Depaoli.
SPAL’s Andrea Petagna – on as a sub in the 60th minute – did his best to keep his side alive at Marassi, hitting the post on 83 minutes before powering a free-kick narrowly past the post minutes later, but the Samp defence stood firm.
Karol Linetty made way on 89 minutes for Felice D’Amico to come on for his Serie A debut, as Ranieri’s men played out the remaining few minutes to secure their second crucial league win in as many games and move up to 32 points for the season.
Sampdoria 3-0 SPAL
Scorers: Linetty 12, 45+3, Gabbiadini 45.
Sampdoria (4-4-1-1): Audero; Bereszynski, Yoshida, Colley, Augello; Linetty (D’Amico 89), Ekdal, Bertolacci (Askildsen 60), Jankto (Depaoli 69); Ramirez (Leris 69); Gabbiadini (La Gumina 60).
Subs not used: Seculin, Chabot, Bonazzoli, Maroni, Quagliarella, Murru, Rocha.
Coach: Ranieri.
SPAL (4-4-2): Letica; Cionek, Vicari (Salamon 60), Bonifazi, Sala; Strefezza, Dabo (Valdifiori HT), Missiroli, Murgia (Tunjov 78); Floccari (Petagna 60), Cerri (Castro 69).
Subs not used: Thiam, Meneghetti, Reca, Felipe, Tomovic, Kryezu, Cuellar.
Coach: Mutarelli.
Referee: Giacomelli.
Assistants: Manganelli, Bottegoni.
Fourth official: Serra.
VAR: Guida, Liberti.
Yellow cards: Bertolacci 3, Cionek 37.
Added time: 3 + 5 minutes.
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