Sampdoria vs. Chievo

Gigi Del Neri welcomed his former club and neither side was in great shape. After strong starts to the season, both had stumbled with one point from their last two games. Marius Stankevicius sat out a ban with injured teammates Franco Semioli and Ferdinando Tissone, while Nicolas Frey, Fabio Moro and Gennaro Sardo didn't make the journey.

Sampdoria broke through with a curious goal, as a set play was cleared to the edge of the box where Andrea Poli's half-volley took a decisive deflection off Rossi to go in.

On the stroke of half-time the already-booked Luciano went in from behind on Padalino, leaving Chievo with 10 men for the rest of the match. However, in stoppages the Flying Donkeys had a goal controversially disallowed, as Sergio Pellissier looked to be on side when he trapped and half-volleyed in a ball over the top.

In the second half Daniele Mannini spread the play for Cassano to hit the side-netting. On 53 minutes Cassano went even closer, as his effort clipped the outside of the post.

Sampdoria made it 2-0 with a well-worked team move. Padalino and Cassano exchanged passes repeatedly down the right side of the penalty area until the low cross for Giampaolo Pazzini's tap-in at the back post.

The visitors nonetheless kept the pressure up with Castellazzi parrying an Ariatti effort, while Erjon Bogdani was inches away from making contact with a Marcolini free kick across the face of goal.

10-man Chievo got back into the game with 10 minutes to go, as Mantovani spun round in the six-yard box to turn in a deflected corner. Samp protested that he had used his hand, but the referee awarded the goal.