Samp youth fall to defeat at Empoli

Felice Tufano’s Sampdoria Primavera side’s performance was solid yet wasn’t enough to pick up any points away at Empoli.

There were chances aplenty in the first half for both sides yet it wasn’t until just 11 minutes from time that the breakthrough came. Samp had come close through Lorenzo Di Stefano, whose smart effort came crashing off the post, but the hosts were able to open the scoring shortly after through Gabriele Guarino. Tufano’s boys tried to react but Empoli stood firm, and matters became even more difficult for the visitors when Lorenzo Malagrida’s red card left them with an even greater hill to climb.

Samp head away from Empoli with a defeat but are already focused on their next battle: this Wednesday, playing home at Bogliasco and taking on AS Roma.

Empoli 1-0 Sampdoria (HT 0-0)
Scorers: Guarino 79
Empoli (4-2-3-1): Biagini; Boli, Guarino, Pezzola, Rizza; Degli Innocenti, Kaczmarski; Rossi (Fini 77), Baldanzi, Fazzini; Lozza (Magazzu 67).
Unused substitutes: Fantoni, Evangelisti, Heimisson, Ignacchiti, Renzi, Indragoli, Barsi, Bonassi, Peralta, Dragoner.
Coach: Busce.
Sampdoria (3-5-2): Saio; Villa, Bonfanti, Migliardi; Malagrida, Bontempi, Sepe (Bonavita 63), Pozzato (Poli 82), Bianchi (Porcu 82); Montevago (Chilafi 71), Di Stefano (Spatari 82).
Unused substitutes: Esposito, Tantalocchi, Dolcini, Musso, De Vivo, Conti.
Coach: Tufano.
Referee: Maranesi.
Assistants: Nasti, Fratello.
Yellow/red cards: Malagrida red carded, Montevago, Migliardi, Fazzini, and Bontempi all booked.