Sampdoria ensured that their final home game of their dismal 2022-23 season did not end in defeat, as Dejan Stankovic’s men fought back to rescue a point against Alessio Dionisi’s Sassuolo on Friday evening.
Manolo Gabbiadini put the hosts ahead after just seven minutes at the Luigi Ferarris stadium, catching out an oblivious Gian Marco Ferrari in possession, before pouncing and slotting home from 12 yards out after finding himself one-on-one with Andrea Conisgli in the Sassuolo net.
Moments after the restart however, the scores were level again, after a swift, efficient move from kick-off eventual freed Emil Konradsen Ceide on Sassoulo’s left flank, who was able to burst into the area, before squaring to Domenico Berardi to slot home a first-time effort just outside the Samp six-yard-box.
Almost immediately afterwards, Sampdoria were caught out on the flank once again, this time on the right hand side, as Nadir Zortea put in a wicked cross to find the head of Matheus Henrique, who duly nodded home past a scrambling Martin Turk.
After 40 minutes, Gabbiadini rattled the upright with a bending effort from 25 yards, before Quagliarella hit the same post on the rebound, although neither strike would have counted after the linesman raised belatedly his flag for an offside in the build-up.
Harry Winks tried again for Samp shortly afterwards, but his effort sailed wide for a goal kick.
The woodwork at the other end of the pitch then took a battering after 44 minutes when Berardi saw his venomous left-footed effort smash off the crossbar 90 seconds shy of the interval.
Both coaches turned to their benches during the break. Flavio Pauletti and Nicola Murru came on in place of Bruno Amione and Bram Nuytinck, whilst Abdou Harroui replaced Kristian Thorstvedt, who picked up an unfortunate booking for simulation midway through the first half.
Harroui, however, managed to pick up a booking of his own just over two minutes into the second half, after sliding in for a clumsy challenge.
Clear cut chances were few and far between in the period immediately after the restart. That said, Sampdoria’s back line began to take a bit of a hammering around the hour mark, but a series of decent stops from 19-year-old Turk and a few wayward efforts ensured the scores remained level.
Entering the final 15 minutes, Sampdoria began to push for an equaliser. Initially, their efforts didn’t look like troubling the Sassuolo defence, until their goalscoring opportunity came their way from a corner in the 77th minute.
A deep cross was met by Quagliarella at the back post, whose effort forced an instinctive save from Consigli, only able to parry into the path of Martin Erlic, who, helpless, poked the ball into his own net.
Samp then had Turk to thank for keeping the scores level, pulling off a fine pair of quick-fire saves from close range to within his area.
With five minutes left on the clock, Quagliaerella’s number was shown on the fourth official’s board, bringing an end to his final home game of his Sampdoria career.
The veteran goalscorer was allowed a lengthy exit by the officials, leaving the pitch to a standing ovation from the entirety of the Luigi Ferraris stadium. The emotions soon began to show, before all of the Sampdoria players rushed over to console their tearful captain. Samp would still have been trailing had it not been for his intervention a few minutes prior.
Despite there not being much to play for on paper after Sampdoria’s relegation and Sassuolo confined to a mid-table finish, the players on both sides put in a solid shift before referee Francesco Meraviglia eventually blew for full-time, confirming a 2-2 result on the night.