Defrel inches away from dream debut

There would have been no better way for Grégoire Defrel to mark his Serie A debut for Sampdoria than to score, and he could not have come much closer with his second-half effort, when he cut in onto his left foot to fire a shot that struck the woodwork.

Speaking after the defeat to Udinese, the new Samp forward said: “The first half was tough for us – Udinese did well to put us under pressure with their breaks forward.

“We spoke with the coach during the break and we did much better in the second half. We did have our chances to level the scores but we didn’t do enough.

“I’m getting into the swing of things, though I’m still a bit short from a tactical and physical perspective. I get on really well with my team-mates.

“We new arrivals need to work hard but we’re integrating well. There are lots of new players. I’m  convinced that we’ve got a good side and that we’ll do well.”