Caprari strike settles FeralpiSalo friendly

Winning a game we lost last year – albeit a friendly – is already a step forward, which is what Marco Giampaolo’s men took when they beat FeralpiSalo on Saturday evening.

A single goal proved to be enough, Gianluca Caprari drilling home a low finish from just inside the box in the first half.

Giampaolo started with Sala and Pavlovic in the full-back berths, Torreira in the engine room, Djuricic to the left and Praet pushed up in the hole.

Whether it was the heavy workloads the Blucerchiati had been put through during the week or the opponents’ cautious approach, the match was slow in coming to life.

The first action of note came when Caprari was felled in the box – only to be booked for diving.

Meanwhile excitement came down the other end when Parodi’s cross-shot came off the top of the bar.

Quagliarella pulled out a shot on the spin midway through the half that barely troubled the keeper, who was blameless when Caprari did break the deadlock ten minutes later.

Feralpi rallied and responded a minute later through Ferreti, whose acrobatic effort proved to be in vain, and Guerra, who hit the post from just yards out.

The keepers were switched at half time before the main raft of changes was ushered in in the 63^rd minute.

The new-look side saw out the match without running any risks – neither at the back nor by upping the tempo excessively in search of more goals.

Dodo drew a fine save out Livieri with a late free kick that was pushed onto the post, Kownacki then unable to steer the rebound into the net.

So 1-0 it remained. More minutes under the belt, more confidence and familiarity with the new team-mates. That’s what it’s about at this stage.

Sampdoria 1-0 Feralpisalo (HT 1-0)
Scorer: Caprari 36.

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Puggioni (Tozzo 46); Sala (Bereszynski 63), Silvestre (Leverbe 63), Regini (Simic 63), Pavlovic (Dodo 63); Barreto (Verre 63), Torreira (Capezzi 63), Djuricic (Linetty 63); Praet (Alvarez 63); Quagliarella (Bonazzoli 63), Caprari (Kownacki 63).
Subs not used: Tomic, Baumgartner, Balde.
Coach: Giampaolo.

Feralpisalo (3-5-2): Caglioni (Livieri 46); Ranellucci (Marchetti 80), Emerson (Surraco 63), P. Marchi; Parodi (Alcibiade 56), Magnino, Capodaglio (Boldini 68), Staiti (Crema 82), Martin (Turano 86); Guerra (Luche 63), Ferretti (M. Marchi 63).
Sub not used: Bacchin.
Coach: Serena.

Referee: Bodini (Verona).
Assistants: Scapini (Legnago) and Albertin (Padua).

Booked: Caprari 9.
Added time: 0 + 3 minutes.
Attendance: approx. 3,000.