Primavera: Samp narrowly beaten by Juventus

The first match of this Primavera 1 TIM campaign saw Sampdoria take on Juventus with a revamped side in Turin. While the hosts took a deserved first-half lead, the Blucerchiati will be disappointed they did not take one of numerous opportunities to draw level in the second half. Simone Pavan’s side will have time to bounce back from this narrow 1-0 defeat, however.

Only two players from the Primavera’s final contest of last season, against Napoli, were on show against the Bianconeri. Robert Veips and Ognjen Stijepovic remain in the side, while Yassine Ejjaki serves a suspension. Those players aside it’s been all change over the summer and five of those fielded against Juventus were making their debuts for Doria.

The breakthrough for Juventus, which came towards the end of the first period, felt harsh on Samp, coming just five minutes after Tommaso Farabegoli fired over the bar following a corner. At the other end Gergely Hutvágner was unable to hold Pablo Moreno’s close-range effort, leaving Elia Petrelli with the straightforward task of tucking the ball away.

Juventus threatened to double their lead in the early stages of the second half, before Sampdoria began to assert themselves in their hunt for a leveller. Stijepovic could not have gone much closer on 68 minutes, showing some dazzling footwork outside the box before firing a diagonal effort just inches wide. The Montenegrin forward was then thwarted by the Juve goalkeeper on 75 minutes when Nik Belec set him up with a beautiful back-heel pass into the box.

Despite late pressure from Doria, Juventus held on and remain somewhat of a bogey team for the Primavera, who have not beaten the Bianconeri since 2015.

Juventus 1-0 Sampdoria (HT: 1-0)
Scorers: Petrelli (39)

Juventus (4-3-3): Loria; Bandeira, Capellini (Tongya 83), Pereira, Anzolin; Portanova, Morrone (Leone 83), Nicolussi (Makoun Reyes 73); Moreno (Monzialo 73), Petrelli, Fagioli (Francofonte 62).
Subs not used: Dadone, Meneghini, Boloca, Gozzi Iweru, Pinelli, Frederiksen, Penner.
Coach: Baldini.

Sampdoria (4-3-3): Hutvagner; Doda, Veips, Farabegoli, Campeol; Canovi (Benedetti 57), Peeters, Soomets (Amado 82); Yayi Mpie (Prelec 46); Stijepovic, Bahlouli (Maglie 46).
Subs not used: Raspa, Boschini, Sorensen, Maggioni, Giordano, Casanova, Cappelletti, Cabral.
Coach: Pavan.

Referee: Maranesi (Ciampino).
Assistants: Vitali (Brescia) and Salvalaglio (Legnano).
Added time: 0 + 5 minutes