Sampdoria defeated Hellas Verona 5-0 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.
Gianluca Sansone, Renan and Roberto Soriano gave the Doriani a three-goal lead at half-time and after the break, Soriano got his brace and Angelo Palombo then sealed the win with a free-kick.
Sampdoria were doing the early pressing and Sansone gave them lead after four minutes. Renan shot from distance and the ball hit the right post but Sansone slid-in to put away the rebound.
The goal sprung the Gialloblu alive and they quickly searched for an equaliser. Angelo Da Costa denied Luca Toni from point blank range, Juan Iturbe just missed the goals with a long-range effort and Romulo shot wide after being a couple of defenders.
Sansone tried to beat Rafael at the near post but Verona’s keeper parried the shot away. Toni’s header was off target after a corner but Da Costa still had a punch the ball away and then Iturbe had another opportunity that went wide. Rafael saved at the near post again from Sansone.
Doria doubled their lead on 23 minutes when a low corner was deflected by referee Giampaolo Calvarese. Then Renan’s shot from outside of the box caught Rafael unsighted and beat the Verona goalkeeper at the near post.
Maxi Lopez started a counterattack and the ball eventually went to Manolo Gabbiadini, who calmly bent a low shot towards the far post but it just went off target. Gabbiadini then took a weak free-kick which went straight into Rafael’s arms.
After 38 minutes, Sampdoria went 3-0 up. On the left-wing, Sansone flicked the ball to Vasco Regini and the left-back went on a run. Before reaching the goal line, he cut the ball back for Soriano to tap the ball in with ease at the far post.
Soriano made it 4-0 for Sampdoria after 48 minutes. He collected the ball on the right side and ran centrally, then he beat a defender and unleashed a daisycutter from outside of the box to beat Rafael.
Iturbe wasted a chance from a free-kick and then a Maxi Lopez back-heel found Sansone, whose shot flashed across the goal. Iturbe bent a shot but Da Costa caught the ball with ease.
After 58 minutes, the Doriani made it 5-0 thanks to Palombo. Gabbiadini was tripped by Domenico Maietta on the edge of the penalty box and Palombo bent a low free-kick around the wall and it the near post. Rafael got a touch but he couldn’t prevent the ball for swerving in.
Da Costa saved an effort from Toni and Emil Hallfredsson then put the rebound wide. Michael Rabusic then forced two saves out of Sampdoria’s Brazilian keeper and Toni headed wide with another effort. Both Iturbe and Renan tried their luck from distance but to no avail.
Daniele Cacia came on for the Gialloblu and he forced a save out of Da Costa. Birkir Bjarnason came on for Sampdoria and he had the last shot of the match but his effort flew over the bar.
