A few bright sparks, decent tempo but no way past Carrarese. 0-0 at the Mugnaini

A good test to stay in shape. Sampdoria used the international break to take on third-tier side Carrarese at the Centro Sportivo Mugnaini in Bogliasco. Emiliano Viviano and Vasco Regini were back in from the start, while Filip Djuricic, Dennis Praet and Jacopo Sala took no part in the match, focusing instead on personalised recovery work. Christian Puggioni did individual strength work meanwhile. Besides the scoreline, Marco Giampaolo will have learned some valuable lessons ahead of the Atalanta game at Marassi when Serie A resumes.

The Blucerchiati played some lovely stuff early on albeit without applying the finishing touches. Fabio Quagliarella twice shot over from promising positions before Leonardo Capezzi was forced off shortly before the half-hour mark with a knock to his right ankle and on came Lucas Torreira in front of the defence. Opposition keeper Ettore Lagomarsini then produced two superb stops to deny Quagliarella’s angled drive and Gianluca Caprari’s close-range header five minutes shy of the break.

Giampaolo mixed things up after the interval, introducing Andrea Tozzo in goal, Gian Marco Ferrari alongside Regini at centre-back, Ivan Strinic at left-back in place of Nicola Murru and Ricky Alvarez and Ibourahima Balde for Gaston Ramirez and Quagliarella. Carrarese twice threatened early on in the second period through Claudio Coralli and Andrea Vassallo but the Doria keeper was equal to the task. Samp tried to find a way through the Tuscan outfit but Silvio Baldini’s side were organised in defence. Alvarez’s free-kick a minute from time caught the top of the wall. Despite a fast tempo and lots of chances, the friendly ended in a goalless stalemate.

Sampdoria 0-0 Carrarese

(4-3-1-2): Viviano (Tozzo 46); Ivan (Tessiore 75), Silvestre (Ferrari 46), Regini (Dodo 78), Murru (Strinic 46); Barreto, Capezzi (Torreira 27), Verre; Ramirez (Alvarez 46); Quagliarella (Balde 46, Gomes Ricciulli 80), Caprari.
Coach: Giampaolo.

Carrarese (4-2-3-1): Lagomarsini; Andrei, Benedini, Cazé, Maccabruni; Rosaia, Cardoselli; Vassallo, Piscopo, Saporetti; Cais.
Subs used in the second half: Moschin, Agyei, Cason, Tentoni, Coralli, Biasci, Benedetti, Bentivegna, Foresta, Possenti, Marchionni, Bianco.
Coach: Baldini.

Referee: Perotti.
Assistants: Lattanzi & Martinelli.