[D-Kin]

Serie A Week 17 - 20/12/06 (19.30 UK)
Sampdoria - Livorno

Stadio Ferraris

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It’s a mid-table scrap at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris as Livorno and Sampdoria both look to pick up three valuable points in the race for European football.

Things are looking up for Sampdoria. After last season’s indifferent showing and a slow start to this campaign, the Blucerchiati faithful finally have something to cheer about. Week 16’s 1-0 away win over Reggina saw Walter Novellino’s men move into ninth place and made it three clean sheets in a row for the Genoa outfit. However, as we saw last season, it’s wins in games like these that make the difference between European football and mid-table obscurity.

Livorno’s fraught 1-1 draw with Lazio last weekend ended a poor run for Daniele Arrigoni’s side and washed away the memories of Week 15’s 3-0 thrashing at Palermo. Coach Daniele Arrigoni claimed to be delighted after a week that had also seen the Granata progress in the UEFA Cup. While club President Aldo Spinelli is not overly enamoured with the UEFA Cup, and in fact stressed earlier in the season that he wanted his side to be knocked out in the early stages, qualifying for next year’s tournament must be the limit of the Tuscans’ realistic ambitions. Some extra shooting drills in training may help them get there – Livorno have had the least shots on target of any side in Serie A, their meagre total of 53 is just over three a game.

Novellino’s defensive crisis has eased. While Christian Terlizzi remains injured, Guilio Falcone and Luigi Sala return from suspension. Striker Fabio Bazzani was hit by a coin at the end of the Reggina match but should be available to play. ‘Keeper Gianluca Berti has had surgery on a fractured wrist and midfielder Gennaro Delvecchio who had to fill in between the sticks may also be out due to a recurring muscle complaint. Angelo Palombo will be sidelined for another fortnight.

The visitors have a full squad. Alessandro Grandoni should start after serving a ban alongside fellow ex-Samp defender Davide Balleri. Iranian defender Rahman Rezaei looks likely to keep the struggling Samuel Kuffour out of the side.

Man on fire: Pietro Accardi (Sampdoria) – An unsung hero at the back for Samp in December, the ex-Palermo wing-back has hardly put a foot wrong since breaking into the team.

Last season: Sampdoria 0-2 Livorno

Form guide: Sampdoria (L L W D W) Livorno (W D L L D)


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Sampdoria (probable): Castelazzi; C Zenoni, Falcone, Maggio, Acardi; Franceschini, Volpi, Bonanni, Olivera; Quagliarella, Flachi

Livorno (probable): Amelia; Grandoni, Rezaei, Galante; Balleri, Vidigal, Passoni, A Filippini, Pasquale; Bakayoko, C Lucarelli

http://www.channel4.com/sport/footba...7/sam-liv.html