Salvation for Tuscans – Corriere.it

Adding insult to injury. After last week’s relegation, Sampdoria let themselves be caught up in the run-up time dat Empoli and gives Zanetti’s team the arithmetic salvation. Opens in the first half a goal by Zanoli on a great assist from Quagliarella, then Stankovic’s team manages without suffering in a particular way but the usual defensive sleep over the 90th minute condemns it. Empoli save with three days to spare, Sampdoria still last in the standings six points behind the penultimate Cremonese.

The formations

Stankovic confirms the 3-4-1-2: an obligatory choice between the posts, with Ravaglia now stable starter for the injured Audero, a defensive line made up of Amione, Nuytinck and Gunter. Zanoli on the right lane, Augello on the left and the Winks-Rincon couple in the middle. Djuricic on the trocar in support of the usual Gabbiadini and a Quagliarella confirmed after last Monday’s away game in Udine. Zanetti instead works for an interpretable 4-3-1-2 (which often becomes 4-2-3-1 in the possession phase): in goal Vicario, untouchable on the wingers Parisi and Ebuehi with Walukiewicz and Luperto acting as dams. In midfield Grassi, Marin and Henderson, the golden-boy Baldanzi from 10 with Cambiaghi just behind the former Ciccio Caputo.

The match

On the one hand you play for honor a failing season culminated with relegation to Serie B, on the other hand to round off a positive year and arithmetically hit a salvation that is now very close. Sampdoria and Empoli arrive at the postponement of the Serie A matchday 35 with opposite morals, and yet – at least at the start – balance reigns, because Zanoli replies to Cambiaghi’s great play in the 7th minute (just off) and eats up the advantage.

On 25′ Marin shoots hard from outside, Ravaglia’s response is anything but perfect but Ebuehi disturbs Caputo and from an easy tap-in the ball goes wide. Ravaglia’s redemption came immediately, in the 33rd minute, the Sampdoria goalkeeper reacted to a poisonous deflection by Henderson. And 1′ later comes the turning point: Quagliarella spreads wide, holds out and puts in the middle for Zanoli who kicks dirty and overtakes Vicario for the 1-0. The second half opened with an attempt on a free-kick by Gabbiadini which was neutralized by Vicario, then Cambiaghi took advantage of a nap from Rincon but was blocked for a corner by Nuytinck. Rhythms and chances are dropping, intensity and cards are going up. Empoli goes in search of the goal that would mean salvation, Sampdodges and risks little. But as often happened this year, he pulled the plug in the final and let himself be caught up: in the 93rd minute Piccoli sent Empoli to heaven with a right footed shot from inside the Sampdoria area, and it made it 1-1.