Two Italian football clubs, Salernitana and Sampdoria, hailing from different leagues, are set to collide in the Coppa Italia.
Match Preview
In this intriguing Coppa Italia encounter, Salernitana and Sampdoria, both enduring challenging seasons, hope to change their fortunes.
Salernitana recently faced a 1-0 defeat to Genoa in Serie A, while Sampdoria suffered a 3-1 loss to Sudtirol in Serie B.
Salernitana, who finished 11 points above the relegation zone in Serie A last season, now languish at the bottom of the table with a mere four points and no wins from their first ten games.
Although they started the season with three draws and losses to Lecce and Torino, things have taken a sharp downturn.
They’ve lost four of their last five Serie A games, failing to score in all four defeats and holding the league’s second-worst defensive record.
In the Coppa Italia, Salernitana began their journey in the round of 64 with a narrow 1-0 win against Serie B’s Ternana.
Confidence may arise from their recent head-to-head record, with two wins and a draw in their last three meetings.
Sampdoria, relegated to Serie B last season after over a decade in Serie A, face an uphill battle to regain their top-tier status.
Andrea Pirlo’s side is just one point above the automatic relegation zone to Serie C, having collected only seven points in 11 games.
A recent 2-0 win over Cosenza ended a six-game losing streak, but an away defeat to Sudtirol has once again dampened their spirits.
Sampdoria barely advanced in the Coppa Italia, winning 7-6 on penalties against Sudtirol.
Their recent record against Salernitana is far from promising, and their current form doesn’t indicate a quick turnaround.
- Salernitana Coppa Italia form: W
- Salernitana form (all competitions): D, L, L, L, D, L
- Sampdoria Coppa Italia form: W
- Sampdoria form (all competitions): D, L, L, D, W, L
Team News
Salernitana has a nearly fully-fit squad, with Federico Fazio as the only absence due to a muscle injury.
Central defender Matteo Lovato’s availability is in doubt after being substituted in their previous match.
Inzaghi is likely to rely on the front trio of Candreva, Cabral, and Dia for goals.
Sampdoria faces more significant injury challenges, with five players currently unavailable.
Defenders Stojanovic and Murru are among the missing, forcing adjustments in the starting lineup.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Salernitana:
- Ochoa;
- Ikwuemesi, Gyomber, Pirola, Bradaric, Mazzocchi;
- Maggiore, Coulibaly, Candreva, Cabral;
- Dia
Sampdoria:
- Stankovic;
- Depaoli, Ghilardi, Gonzalez, Giordano;
- Kasami, Yepes, Vieira, Borini;
- Esposito, Verre
Match Prediction:
With both teams struggling to create scoring chances, a low-scoring game is expected. While Salernitana has recent victories against Sampdoria, neither team is a clear favorite in this encounter.
- Our prediction: Salernitana 1-0 Sampdoria