“We couldn’t afford to slip up,” says Jankto

Jakub Jankto turned in an excellent performance on Sunday afternoon as Sampdoria thrashed Brescia 5-1.

Following the win, in which he scored the home team’s crucial second goal and recorded two assists, he said: “We got three important points. We scored five goals and could have got seven or eight. We did very well to turn the result around.

“We weren’t sufficiently focused in the early stages but then we created lots of chances. It was key to get that 2-1 lead before the end of the first half. I feel confident, as does the rest of the team. We’re doing something big here.”

When asked about his goal, the midfielder said: “[Karol] Linetty played a similar ball to me around the 10th minute. The second time I focused on making a good connection and it went in.”

With Lazio on the horizon, he said: “They’re an excellent side but we need to prepare as best we can to try and pick up points. We’re in form and have to try our best.

“We’re grateful to the fans – they came here and gave us a boost. Let’s keep going together.”