Meggiorini header hands Chievo 1-0 win at Marassi

Sampdoria slipped to a 1-0 loss to Chievo Verona at Marassi on Sunday afternoon after Riccardo Meggiorini headed home in the 24th minute to score the only goal of the game.

Chievo had the better of the opening exchanges, though Quagliarella almost fashioned an opening on 13 minutes: the Italian teed himself up with some lovely chest control only for his spinning left-footed volley to bobble into Bizzarri’s arms.

Matias Silvestre and Emiliano Viviano were at their best to deny Meggiorini on two separate occasions, but the Chievo man was able to make amends on 24 minutes as he rose unchallenged to head home a Birsa cross and give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Fernando looked to take the game by the scruff of the neck but his eagerness almost cost Sampdoria dear soon afterwards. A clumsy challenge on Pepe saw the referee point to the spot, but Viviano dived to his right to claim Birsa’s penalty.

There was more impetus from the Blucerchiati after the break, Fernando setting up De Silvestri to head against the woodwork in the 49th minute. And though Viviano produced yet another save to deny Meggiorini shortly afterwards, it was Bizzarri who pulled off the stop of the match on the hour mark, reaching to his left to claw out De Silvestri’s header.

Sampdoria kept pushing until the end, Quagliarella and Soriano coming close as the dying embers crackled away at Marassi, but there was to be no reprieve for the Blucerchiati and the final whistle saw the men in yellow and blue celebrating a 1-0 win.

Sampdoria 0-1 Chievo Verona
Scorers: Meggiorini 24.

Sampdoria (3-4-2-1): Viviano; Silvestre, Ranocchia, Moisander; De Silvestri, Soriano, Fernando (Krsticic 81), Dodo; Alvarez (Muriel 71), Cassano (Correa 58); Quagliarella.
Subs not used: Puggioni, Brignoli, Cassani, Barreto, Pereira, Christodoulopoulos, Sala, Diakité, Ivan.
Coach: Vincenzo Montella.

Chievo Verona (4-3-1-2): Bizzarri; Cacciatore, Spolli, Cesar, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Hetemaj; Pepe (Pinzi 81); Meggiorini (Mpoku 79), Birsa (Floro Flores 68).
Subs not used: Bressan, Seculin, Ninkovic, Sardo, Frey, Pellissier, F. Costa.
Coach: Rolando Maran.

Referee: Pairetto (Nichelino).
Assistants: Vuoto (Livorno), Carbone (Naples).
Fourth official: Dobosz (Roma 2).
Additional assistants: Guida (Torre Annunziata), Saia (Palermo).

Bookings: Soriano 31, Castro 39, Fernando 60, Hetemaj 61, Moisander 71, Bizzarri 89.
Added time: 2 + 5 minutes.