Sampdoria-Genoa 1-0: Sabiri goal, Criscito misses a penalty in the 96th minute

Sampdoria in paradise, Genoa ever closer to the abyss of Serie B, with the final drama of Criscito in tears, who at the 51st minute of the second half had the penalty rejected in favor of the rossoblù by a great Audero, making the Grifone (who pays a non-existent attack) in full drama with three days to go and with an almost impossible schedule. A goal from Sabiri in the first half decides the derby of the Lanterna, which also gives the Sampdoria the return derby and removes – probably definitively – Caputo and his teammates from the red zone of the standings, with Cagliari five points lower and the Salernitana at minus eight, albeit with two fewer games.

LOGICAL CHOICES

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Giampaolo prefers not to risk and repeats Verona’s choices: in front of the four defensive players (with Augello preferred to Murru), he fixes the recovered Ekdal, preferred to Vieira despite a non-optimal physical condition, with Caputo as the only striker. Sampdoria covered, as is logical, with a 4-1-4-1: the five points advantage over Genoa in the standings allow the Sampdoria to be able to play even for a draw. Blessin cannot make the same reasoning, who does not depart from his 4-2-3-1, confirming Frendrup and Vasquez in defense (with central Bani and Ostigard), and attacking midfielder Galdames. In attack, trust Destro, in an offensive department that this year was the main (unsolved) problem of the Grifone. A high-intensity start on both fronts, Maresca must immediately intervene after a minute for a Bani-Sensi contact in the red and blue penalty area on a cross from Candreva: the Sampdoria asks for a penalty, the game continues. Sampdoria with more quality, Genoa with more vigor, but less lucidity. Sampdoria immediately understands that in the right lane Candreva can create pressure for Vasquez and it is no coincidence that the best opportunities for Sampdoria start from there in the first twenty minutes, however too imprecise. The attacks are ineffective, Ekdal is useful in the restart phase, but he is too low to contribute to the development of the Sampdorian game. Genoa, on the other hand, goes too far on high balls, on which Destro loses effectiveness. Sturaro and Badelj break the Dorian game. At minute 20 (after a very dangerous discharge by Colley on Audero, which anticipates Destro by a whisker), the first goal of the match with Amiri, who after a mistake by Candreva, on an assist from Bani, commits Audero from distance in a rebound complicated. This leads to Sabiri’s goal (26 ‘) who swoops into the Genoa area and collects a cross from Augello anticipating the defense. Genoa protests for an alleged foul on Galdames on the trocar at the beginning of the action, but the contact is regular. Ekuban (35 ‘) heads to the side, but the game is on, but Genoa is poorly organized, replaces Sturaro with Portanova, but struggles to reorganize. Sabiri nearly doubled just at the end of the half race, Sirigu remedied.

SHOOTING THRILLING

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After the half-game, the rossoblùs change again by inserting Criscito for Vasquez, thus trying to take advantage of the full-back’s greater attacking attitude. But that’s not enough. Genoa has aggression, they would like to try to get around the Sampdoria midfielder, but the problems of a dull and never dangerous attack remain. Sabiri offers interesting balls, has great quality, Candreva is up in pace, but the game remains blocked on the Sampdoria advantage in the first half. Gudmundsson takes over Ekuban, Melegoni takes the place of Amiri. Giampaolo understands that Sensi is in reserve, space for Vieira. The rossoblùs have spent a lot, in the final they lower the number of laps and this further complicates the search for the same, to which the entry of Yeboah does not even contribute in a positive sense. Sampdoria under management, Giampaolo plays the Quagliarella card and adds an attacker, so as not to make the opponents rise too much. Until the touch with the left arm of Ferrari in full recovery, which in an attempt to close on Destro provokes the penalty after a check with the Var. But Audero has a decisive twist and becomes the hero of a night that will remain in history in Genoa of derbies. Sampdoria in heaven, the Sampdoria party begins. But the number one of Sampdoria understands Criscito’s moment and is among the first to console him. A derby lesson, Genoa needed it.