Marco Giampaolo believes Sampdoria’s Serie A clash with Torino on Wednesday will ‘decide’ whether his side can qualify for the Champions League.
Four wins in five games have lifted Samp to eighth, and a favourable midweek round could leave Giampaolo’s side just three points off fourth-placed Milan.
“The match against Torino is decisive, but for the Champions League, not for the Europa League,” the Coach told his club’s official website.
Marco Giampaolo believes Sampdoria’s Serie A clash with Torino on Wednesday will ‘decide’ whether his side can qualify for the Champions League.
Four wins in five games have lifted Samp to eighth, and a favourable midweek round could leave Giampaolo’s side just three points off fourth-placed Milan.
“The match against Torino is decisive, but for the Champions League, not for the Europa League,” the Coach told his club’s official website.
“Being able to talk about a decisive match for the Champions League on April 2 is a big thing and a nice step for us.
“The victory over Milan gave us enthusiasm and confidence. Wins like these help you believe in yourself more.
“However, it took away some of our mental energy and that’s why we decided to leave for training two days earlier to get our energy back.
“We’d already planned this week because the team need to recover physically and mentally.
“The match against Milan was very intense, our toughest in the League. Therefore we need to recover.
“It’ll be a difficult game. Torino are a team built to return to Europe. They stopped selling so many players in pursuit of objectives.
“They also have the luxury of not selling Belotti. They’ve been planning for a long time. They’re a team who concede only a few goals.
“They suffer little and therefore it’ll be a tough and complicated game. It’ll be a tour de force for Sampdoria and it’ll be challenging.
“If I make some changes, it’s to minimise the risk of injuries. I’ll change those who have used up too much.
“We know who can push and who needs to breathe. We’ve been given warnings and I’ll pick my team based on that.
“The XI who I think are in the best condition physically will play. I’ll figure it out so tomorrow.”