Sampdoria snapped a 10-match winless streak with a 3-2 home win over Serie A champions Juventus on Saturday.
Fabio
Quagliarella fired Juventus into an early lead but the hosts responded from the
penalty spot thanks to Brazilian Eder.
Lorenzo De
Silvestri and Mauro Icardi increased Sampdoria’s lead after the interval and
although Emanuele Giaccherini scored a late effort from distance for Juventus,
Delio Rossi's men held on for their first Serie A win in over two months.
Juventus
entered the match having beaten every team in Serie A this season except Sampdoria,
after they notched a famous 2-1 win with 10 men in Turin in January.
And
Sampdoria ensured they would not complete the set, putting in a terrific
display that defied their lowly league standing of 14th.
After
sealing the Serie A title almost a fortnight ago, Juventus coach Antonio Conte
has heavily rotated, and this occasion was no different as he made five
changes.
In came the
likes of Andrea Pirlo and Quagliarella, with Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio
the headline absentees, while Sampdoria also rang the changes for the
season-ending match.
Juventus
started brightly and although Marcelo Estigarribia and Eder had early
half-chances for Sampdoria, they came against the run of play.
Quagliarella
had a terrific effort saved after 11 minutes and while Chilean Mauricio Isla
was causing problems, Sampdoria were most troubled by Sebastian Giovinco and
Giaccherini in the early stages.
Defender
Giorgio Chiellini had a deflected effort superbly saved by Angelo Da Costa
while Quagliarella and Giaccherrini also went close for Juventus, who opened
the scoring shortly after.
Quagliarella
was the scorer, making the most of a sublime Andrea Pirlo ball over the top
before composing himself and side-footing past Da Costa in the 25th minute.
It gave the
champions a deserved lead but almost immediately Sampdoria responded as
Chiellini conceded what looked to be a harsh penalty.
Eder
expertly dispatched the spot-kick and then went close to giving his side the
lead shortly after, only to steer his effort wide.
At the other
end, Quagliarella was denied by a terrific block from defender Daniele
Gastaldello with Da Costa stranded.
Quagliarella
and Giaccherini continued to pose a threat for the visitors after the break and
both went close early in the second half, while Eder forced Juventus goalkeeper
Marco Storari into a good save from distance in the 57th minute.
From the
resultant corner, which was whipped in by former Juventus loanee Estigarribia,
De Silvestri made the most of some slack marking to nip in at the near post and
nod Sampdoria into the lead.
Quagliarella
wasted a golden chance to equalise when he scuffed a volley at Da Costa and
Sampdoria made him pay 15 minutes from time when a fast break saw Estigarribia
burst down the right.
The
Paraguayan cleverly cut the ball back and Argentine Mauro Icardi was on hand to
tap the ball in, giving him his 10th goal of the season.
Juventus
scored in stoppage time as Giaccherini curled in a terrific effort from the
edge of the box, but it was too little too late as Conte's side ended a
fantastic league campaign with just their fifth defeat of the season.
