Sampdoria celebrated a solid 2-0 victory against Empoli, thanks to goals from Coda and Benedetti. This win brings hope to the blucerchiati while raising concerns for the Tuscan side. Although the scoreline may not fully reflect a dominant performance, Sampdoria, under coach D’Aversa, was well-organized and had chances of their own.
Empoli had opportunities as well; early on, Caputo hit the crossbar with a penalty in the 8th minute, and former Sampdoria player Esposito had a well-placed shot saved by Ghidotti. However, Sampdoria took their chance when it came. Just before halftime, Coda scored in the 44th minute, converting a well-placed ball in the box past Vasquez, who seemed inexperienced at times.
In the second half, Empoli came out strong, pushing for an equalizer. Esposito hit the outside of the post from a free-kick, and Pezzella created two brilliant chances with both his left and right foot. It was an encouraging performance, especially with the arrival of two new strikers during the week. Colombo, recently signed from Milan, made his debut and had a good chance saved by Ghidotti. Sampdoria’s Tutino, who joined from Cosenza, also made his first appearance.
The turning point came just after the 70th minute when Benedetti, who had just come on, scored on a swift counter-attack to double Sampdoria’s lead. The final minutes saw little action, and the match concluded with a 2-0 win for Sampdoria away at Empoli. This performance sets a positive tone for Sampdoria as they look forward to the upcoming Coppa Italia and league matches.
