Sampdoria 2-2 Udinese (AET, 5-4 Pens)
Blucerchiati Squeeze Through To Coppa Italia Quarter-Finals.
Sampdoria reached the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia after defeating Udinese 5-4 on penalties at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday evening in a pulsating encounter.
Giampaolo Pazzini turned out to Samp's saviour in this Round of 16 tie as he scored from the spot in extra-time to make it 2-2 and then rolled home what turned out to be the winning penalty in the shoot-out as Mauricio Isla failed to convert his.
Federico Macheda scored his first goal for the hosts in the first-half but it was cancelled out by Mauricio Isla in the 90th minute.
German Denis then gave Udinese an early lead in extra-time and despite the hosts going down to ten men after Daniele Dessena was sent off, Pazzini successfully converted his spot-kick to take a topsy-turvy match into penalties.
Sampdoria were by far the better side in the opening quarter of an hour as they created two good chances. The first one was crafted as early as the fifth minute when Daniele Mannini whipped in a cross for Pazzini but the Italy international striker couldn't direct his header into the net.
Ten minutes later the hosts once again conjured up a chance when Mannini put in a low cross from the right but neither Pazzini nor Macheda could reach it.
Udinese were put firmly on the backfoot and struggled to launch an attack of their own. The Bianconeri were put under danger again midway through the first-half when once more Mannini delivered a wonderful cross from the right, but Pazzini's volley went over the crossbar.
Moments later Macheda tried his luck with a shot from outside the Udinese penalty area and before long the 19-year-old Italian on loan from Manchester United swooped in on a Stefano Guberti cross and forced goalkeeper Emanuele Belardi into making a save.
Macheda eventually found the target on 32 minutes when his shot deceived Belardi, slipping under the crossbar, giving Samp a 1-0 lead at the break.
Udinese coach Francesco Guidolin brought on Alexis Sanchez for Antonio Di Natale in order to shake things up a bit in the attacking department and ten minutes later the 22-year-old created a chance for Almen Abdi.
Samp continued to look for a second goal as Angelo Palombo went close and so did Pazzini in the closing stages, but in the 90th minute Isla equalised for Udinese to take the game into extra-time.
Two minutes into the extra frame the Zebrette went ahead for the first time through Denis as the Argentine turned in a corner. Mannini and Guberti then forced Belardi into making saves before Sampdoria went down to ten men as midfielder Dessena was sent off.
However, Pazzini successfully converted a 109th minute penalty that was won by Andrea Poli to make it 2-2 and take the match into penalties, where Pazzini struck his side's fifth before Isla failed to covert his spot kick, meaning that Sampdoria go through to the last-eight.
SampCelt89
Sampdoria 1-2 Napoli
After a disappointing first half, Cassano leaves his mark in the late minutes of the match, but Sampdoria suffered an uncomfortable defeat as they allowed Napoli to turn things upside down just moments later.
Match Action
The visitors made themselves feel at home as they dominated the match with good passes and wing attacks. Lucchini got an early yellow card by tripping Lavezzi.
On 13 minutes, a long ball found Cavani in the penalty box with only the keeper to beat, but the Uruguayan let the ball escape with an awful first touch.
Samp finally woke up and threatened Napoli's defense after 23 minutes, when Semioli carried the ball down the right flank and touched it to Cassano, who passed to Guberti, who hit a long shot wide from the edge of the box.
The referee ignored penalty appeals from the crowd when Cassano was pushed by Cannavaro inside the box at 31 minutes, after a Palombo free kick.
At 37 minutes, Lavezzi hit a fierce volley that made Curci work, but fortunately the Napoli player was offside. Minutes later, the goalkeeper was forced to make another save from a Dossena's header. And, in the last moments of the first half, a long shot attempt from Dossena was parried by Curci.
Sampdoria tried to change the flow of the match after the break. But it was Napoli that had the first great opportunity when a mistake by Dessena resulted in a counter-attack that ended with a good shot from Gargano, that passed near Curci's post.
Curci made another save from a Cavani shot at 58 minutes. Moments later, it was De Sanctis' turn when he saved a free kick shot by Palombo.
Sampdoria almost opened the score after the hour mark, when a beautiful long shot by Guberti hit the post. Napoli also hit the frame with a Gargano free kick, then Maggio tried to head the ball but he was caught offside.
At 76 minutes Sampdoria gained a penalty kick when substitute Pozzi was pushed by Cannavaro inside the box. De Sanctis guessed the right way but couldn't reach it.
The goal didn't intimidate the visitors, who evened the score in a matter of minutes. An intelligent Gargano free kick took Sampdoria defense by surprise when it reached Hamsik, who had the easy task of slotting it into the net.
But the worst was yet to come. Just two minutes later, a cross from the left by Lavezzi found Cavani in front of Lucchini, who volleyed the ball from point-blank range.
Samp had one last chance to diminish the damage with a desperate attempt by Palombo, but he was disarmed by Cannavaro in the box.
Teams
Sampdoria: Curci; Zauri, Gastaldello, Lucchini, Ziegler; Palombo, Dessena, Semioli (Mannini 71); Guberti (Koman 79); Cassano, Pazzini (Pozzi 74)
Napoli: De Sanctis; Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Grava; Maggio, Pazienza, Gargano, Dossena; Hamsik, Lavezzi (Sosa 91); Cavani
Ref: Valeri
geamado
Juventus 3 – 3 Sampdoria
Scorers:
Pozzi 36, 73 (S), Marchisio 43 (J), Pepe 50 (J), Cassano 61 (S), Quagliarella 67 (J)
Juventus and Sampdoria played out a thrilling 3-3 draw this afternoon in Turin.
The two sides came into this game in very different form. Juve were beaten 1-0 in Bari on the opening weekend, while the Blucerchiati had won 2-0 away to Lazio.
Giampaolo Pazzini, Paolo Sammarco, Andrea Poli, Pietro Accardi, Fernando Tissone and Stefano Guberti didn't make the trip due to injury. The Bianconeri were without Gigi Buffon, Amauri, Momo Sissoko, Jorge Martinez and new signing Armand Traore.
Seventeen years ago today, Alessandro Del Piero made his Juve debut against Foggia.
The best of the early chances fell to Nicola Pozzi after a mistake by Felipe Melo. Marco Storari managed to parry it for a corner.
Cassano also had a great opportunity for the Blucerchiati and again ex-teammate Storari had to rush off his line to close him down in a one-on-one.
Sampdoria had the best of the first half and took the lead. Cassano got the better of Marco Motta on the left and pulled it back for Pozzi, who finished neatly into the bottom corner.
Del Piero came close with a free-kick that shaved the post.
Juventus equalised when Milos Krasic knocked the ball down for the oncoming Claudio Marchisio, who thumped the ball into the net.
The first half ended with the score at 1-1. Shortly after half-time, Juve went ahead in chaotic fashion. A moment of chaos in the Sampdoria penalty area involving Gastaldello, Curci, Quagliarella and Pepe ended with Pepe bundling the ball over the line. The goal stood even though replays suggest the winger may have been offside.
Krasic should've scored his team's third. He out-sprinted three defenders but his low drive was beaten away by Curci.
Del Piero again hit a free-kick narrowly wide.
Sampdoria got back into the game when Cassano and Angelo Palombo combined and Fantantonio beat Storari.
The game wasn't tied for long. Fabio Quagliarella made it 3-2 after Pepe had numegged Zauri.
It was a spectacular second half and Sampdoria made it 3-3 a few minutes later. Guido Marilungo came on for Franco Semioli and it was his splendid cross from the right that found Pozzi in space between Leonardo Bonucci and Marco Motta. Gigi Delneri will be far from happy with his two new defenders.
Del Piero crossed from the left with the outside of his right foot but Curci tipped it away from the feet of Quagliarella. Vincenzo Iaquinta's deflected effort from point-blank range forced Curci into another save. Finally, Felipe Melo headed narrowly wide from a corner.
Juventus: Storari; Motta (Grygera 76), Bonucci, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Krasic (Iaquinta 78), Felipe Melo, Marchisio, Pepe (Aquilani 78); Del Piero, Quagliarella
Sampdoria: Curci; Zauri, Gastaldello, Lucchini (Volta 79), Ziegler; Semioli (Marilungo 69), Palombo, Dessena, Koman (Obiang 58); Cassano, Pozzi
Referee: Mazzoleni
JC
Europa League 2010/11 Draw
Sampdoria went into the Europa League draw today following their dissapointing failure to qualify for this years Champions League.
The Blucerchiati have been drawn in Group I along with : PSV Eindhoven, FC Metalist Kharkiv, Debreceni.
This will surely be a group Sampdoria will look to qualify from.
Guberti delighted to be back
Stefano Guberti has expressed his delight to have returned to Sampdoria.
The winger spent the second half of last season on loan at Marassi from Roma and had started pre-season training with the Giallorossi. This week the Blucerchiati bought 50% of his contract.
“I really wanted to come back to Samp, where in just six months I had been able to make my mark in a splendid group of players,” said the 25-year-old.
“It was not an easy negotiation process, but I am happy that we found a way through over the last few days. I also thank Roma for releasing me before the UEFA deadline, as I fought hard with my teammates to earn our Champions League play-off chance and wanted to be here to take part.”
JC
Prandelli calls Lucchini, Cassano and Palombo
The Sampdoria trio of Stefano Lucchini, Antonio Cassano and Angelo Palombo have been included in Cesare Prandelli's first Italy squad. Giampaolo Pazzini is not included in the selection though.
Palombo is a regular in the squad and Cassano had been widely expected to be recalled once Marcello Lippi's reign as Azzurri manager ended. Lucchini's selection comes as something of a surprise, even to the man himself. "It is a dream come true, but I really did not expect this at all. There was no hint. I had read so many names in the newspapers over the last few days, but mine never appeared. It really is quite a shock."
Italy squad to play Ivory Coast in a friendly at Upton Park on August 10th:
Goalkeepers: Marchetti (Cagliari), Sirigu (Palermo), Viviano (Bologna)
Defenders: Antonini (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Bonucci (Juventus), Cassani (Palermo), Chiellini (Juventus), Lucchini (Sampdoria), Molinaro (Stuttgart), Motta (Juventus)
Midfielders: De Rossi (Roma), Lazzari (Cagliari), Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Palombo (Sampdoria), Pepe (Juventus)
Attackers: Amauri (Juventus), Balotelli (Inter), Borriello (Milan), Cassano (Sampdoria), Quagliarella (Napoli), Rossi (Villarreal)
JC
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