Dzeko double sinks Doria in Rome
It was another disappointing away trip for Claudio Ranieri and his players on Wednesday night, as they were defeated 2-1 by Roma at the Olimpico. It was a display that deserved more and Doria looked on course to get something from the game as Manolo Gabbiadini gave the away side a first-half advantage. However Edin Dzeko was in lethal form on the night and hauled Roma level before scoring a late winner.
Unlike in their first game back since the break in the season – against Inter at San Siro on Sunday – Sampdoria turned in a promising first-half performance. While both sides threatened in the opening stages – notably Javier Pastore, who forced Emil Audero into a smart save after a winding run into the penalty area – it was the away team who struck first. Gabbiadini pounced on a wayward back pass from Amadou Diawara, took the ball round Antonio Mirante and slotted home from a tight angle. Jakub Jankto went close to making it two, hitting the foot of the post after robbing Diawara of the ball.
Roma thought they had drawn level before the end of the first half through Jordan Veretout, but the goal was ruled out for a handball spotted in the build-up. The equaliser did eventually arrive, however, with 20 minutes played of the second half, when Dzeko brilliantly volleyed home an accurate lofted pass from substitute Lorenzo Pellegrini. The Bosnian produced another first-time finish with 85 minutes on the clock, to give Roma all three points.
Doria have Bologna, Lecce and SPAL coming up in their next three games, as the pressure rises to get points on the board.
Roma 2-1 Sampdoria (HT: 0-1)
Scorers: Gabbiadini 11, Dzeko 64, 85.
Roma (4-2-3-1): Mirante; Peres (Zappacosta 61), Ibañez, Smalling, Kolarov; Veretout, Diawara (Cristante 60); Perez (Under 72), Pastore (Pellegrini 60), Mkhitaryan (Kalinic 85); Dzeko.
Subs: Fuzato, Perotti, Villar, Fazio, Mancini, Spinazzola, Kluivert.
Coach: Fonseca.
Sampdoria (4-5-1): Audero; Bereszynski, Tonelli, Yoshida, Augello (Murru 81); Depaoli, Thorsby, Ekdal, Linetty (Ramírez 70), Jankto (Léris 63); Gabbiadini (Bonazzoli 64).
Subs: Falcone, Vieira, Chabot, Colley, Askildsen, La Gumina, Murru, D’Amico, Bertolacci.
Coach: Ranieri.
Referee: Calvarese
Assistants: Vivenzi, Rocca
Fourth official: Pezzuto
VAR: Di Bello
AVAR: Di Vuolo
