Samp make derby history as Muriel strike completes double over Genoa

Luis Muriel scored a second-half winner to help Sampdoria make derby history by recording home and away victories against Genoa in the same Serie A season for the first time in almost 60 years.

The Colombian sent the Blucerchiati faithful into raptures when he pounced on a moment of indecision by the Genoa rearguard and slotted calmly past Eugenio Lamanna in the 71st minute.

Doria fans fondly remember doing the treble over their cross-town rivals in 2002/03 – two wins in Serie B and one in the Coppa Italia – but Samp hadn’t beaten the Rossoblu twice in the top flight since 1959/60.

Having triumphed 2-1 in the reverse fixture, Marco Giampaolo’s 2016/17 crop have now written their names into the record books – and earned a place in the hearts of all Blucerchiati.

Samp looked to control proceedings from the off, while Genoa were happy to sit back and try their luck on the counter and mainly down the flanks.

Muriel fired off an opening effort in the 9th minute, Oscar Hiljemark responded with a cross-shot that Milan Skriniar sent behind for a corner and Muriel then linked up with Fabio Quagliarella but his aim was off.

Genoa had a great opportunity to open the scoring in the 20th minute. Giovanni Simeone set up Mauricio Pinilla in the area and it needed a reaction save from Emiliano Viviano to keep out the Chilean’s low finish, the ball then pinging about the box and flying out for a corner.

Isaac Cofie collected the first card of the game for blatantly barging into Bruno Fernandes from the ensuing counter-attack and might have been given a second moments later when he handled Quagliarella’s shot on the edge of the box. Fernandes blasted the free kick straight into the wall.

Quagliarella was unfortunate not to be rewarded for his audacity in the 34th minute when brought a high ball under control at full stretch and shot on the swivel as it fell, his effort fizzing over.

Jacopo Sala and Pinilla picked up bookings before the half was over and the sides trooped into the dressing rooms with the game still goalless.

Six minutes after the restart, Muriel provided another reminder of what he can do as he drifted in from the right and unleashed a thunderbolt that clipped the top of the bar.

The names of Olivier Ntcham and Edgar Barreto followed into the ref’s book but this was far from a dirty derby.

Samp were clearly playing the better football but couldn’t make the breakthrough.

Quagliarella expertly shielded the ball on the edge of the box and fired narrowly wide with another shot on the turn before Giampaolo recalled him midway through the half and threw Patrik Schick into the fray.

Within minutes of his introduction Samp took the lead, albeit not through the Czech striker.

Ntcham played an underhit pass towards Ezequiel Munoz, Muriel raced to intercept and won the ball before bearing down on goal and picking his spot beyond the onrushing Lamanna.

Samp had the lead they so deserved and the Gradinata Sud exploded, sensing history could be in the making.

Shortly afterwards, Schick produced a moment of class as he glided into the box leaving a trail of Genoa players in his wake, only for Cofie to get the vital touch as he was about to pull the trigger.

The Czech youngster dazzled once again with 10 minutes to go. Collecting the ball near the right-hand sideline, he jinked past Diego Laxalt and Ntcham then somehow squeezed between two more Rossoblu shirts and this time did manage to get his shot away, but sadly failed to test Lamanna.

Andrea Mandorlini played the Adel Taarabt card and Giampaolo responded by bringing on Filip Djuricic in place of soon-to-be-matchwinner Muriel.

Leandro Morosini came on for the final minutes as Genoa desperately sought an injury-time equaliser but the only thing that happened was Viviano got booked, meaning he will miss next week’s meeting with Juventus through suspension.

All that matters today is Doria have won the derby – for the second time this season – and are now 12 points ahead of Genoa in the table. Plenty to celebrate indeed.

Genoa 0-1 Sampdoria (HT 0-0)
Scorer: Muriel 71.

Genoa (3-5-2): Lamanna; Muñoz, Burdisso, Izzo; Lazovic (Palladino 76), Hiljemark, Cofie (Taraabt 83), Ntcham (Morosini 90+1), Laxalt; Simeone, Pinilla.
Subs not used: Rubinho, Edenilson, Gentiletti, Biraschi, Beghetto, Pandev, Brivio, L. Rigoni, Cataldi.
Coach: Andrea Mandorlini.

Sampdoria (4-3-1-2): Viviano; Sala, Silvestre, Skriniar, Regini; Barreto, Torreira, Linetty; Fernandes (Praet 75); Muriel (Djuricic 87), Quagliarella (Schick 67).
Subs not used: Puggioni, Simic, Dodô, Alvarez, Palombo, Pavlovic, Cigarini, Bereszynski, Budimir.
Coach: Marco Giampaolo.

Referee: Orsato di Schio.
Assistants: Cariolato (Legnago), Marzaloni (Rimini).
Fourth official: Tonolini (Milan).
Additional assistants: Guida (Torre Annunziata), Pinzani (Empoli).

Booked: Cofie 20, Sala 41, Pinilla 45, Ntcham 51, Barreto 52, Muriel 72, Viviano 90+2.
Added time: 1+4 minutes.