The Easter weekend was something to forget for Sampdoria after losing away to bottom-placed Catania in the latest round of Serie A fixtures.
Sampdoria coach Sinisa Mihajlovic fielded a makeshift line-up against Catania because he wanted to give opportunities to the back-up players on the roster.
After losing 2-1 to the Etnei, the only Samp player who can hold his head up high was goalkeeper Vincenzo Fiorillo.
In a previous Sampdoria Club Focus, it was mentioned that there were calls for him to be in the team instead of Angelo Da Costa. Fiorillo had played in two Coppa Italia fixtures for the Blucerchiati this season and on the weekend he played in the Serie A for the first time this season.
In a stark contrast to his previous Serie A trip to Sicily in 2009 against Palermo, Fiorillo took his chance and prevented Sampdoria from being humiliated by Catania. Sebastian Leto and Gonzalo Bergessio scored a goal each for Catania but both players could have added to that tally.
Bergessio had three shots saved by Fiorillo, Lucas Castro was denied two scoring opportunities and Pablo Barrientos also had a chance saved by the Doria goalkeeper. Leto’s inaccuracy let him down otherwise he was a menace for the Samp defence.
Fiorillo shined in a Samp team that looked randomly assembled. Catania had one of their best performances for the year and tore the Blucerchiati apart.
It was evident that the team Mihajlovic had fielded lacked cohesion or any understanding of how each of their teammates played. There were 11 Sampdoria players out there at the Stadio Angelo Massimino but they didn’t form a Sampdoria team.
Centre-backs Michele Fornasier and Andrea Costa played as full-backs and in the centre of defence, Mihajlovic fielded two natural full-backs in Shkodran Mustafi and Vasco Regini.
Mustafi and Regini can play as centre-backs but Fornasier cannot overlap like a full-back, and although Costa has been used mainly as a full-back at Sampdoria, he has struggled in that role.
The midfield trio consisted of Renan, Bartosz Salamon and Birkir Bjarnason and neither one of them could play as a regista or trequartista. All three players were not capable of linking-up with the forwards.
Pawel Wszolek, Stefano Okaka and Gianluca Sansone formed the attacking trident but it wasn’t overly successful. Okaka and Sansone played better in the second half than in the first but Wszolek was anonymous.
Okaka scored Sampdoria’s only goal of the game with a solo effort. He controlled the ball on his chest before sprinting away and beating two defenders before beating Catania goalkeeper Alberto Frison from a tight angle.
It was as good as it got for Okaka and the Blucerchiati. Not only did the Etnei regain the lead after Okaka’s moment of magic but he was the subject of racial abuse after the match. There were some Catania fans booing him and they also insulted him, making references to his skin colour.
Sampdoria play Chievo in the next round of Serie A fixtures but the Blucerchiati have sealed their Serie A survival for another season and don’t have anything else to play for.
Mihajlovic is likely to bring Daniele Gastaldello, Roberto Soriano and Eder back into the starting line-up but it is possible that Fiorillo might maintain his spot in the team too.
It would seem harsh on Da Costa but now that there is nothing to lose, Fiorillo might as well get as much Serie A experience as he can and based on what he did on the weekend, he has earned it.
Follow Vito Doria on Twitter: @VitoCDoria
