October 18, (THEWILL) – Roma held on for a gritty victory over Sampdoria in the dying seconds after taking an early 1-0 lead in Serie A’s Monday night football.
Dejan Stankovic’s signing gave Sampdoria a boost, and they hosted Roma at a jam-packed Stadio Luigi Ferraris, but the Giallorossi took the lead in the ninth minute on a penalty that captain Lorenzo Pellegrini converted for his first Serie A goal of the season.
Even though Roma maintained their dominance, the first-half play from Jose Mourinho’s team fell far short of expected coordination. The first-half finished with Pellegrini’s penalty as the game’s only highlight.
Sampdoria became more involved in the game and began to trouble the Giallorossi defence more in the second half, particularly along the flanks. However, Mourinho added more defensive reinforcements to maintain their slim lead and ensure that an equaliser never materialised.
Sampdoria will host Ascoli in the Coppa Italia when they return to action on Thursday while Mourinho’s charges do not play until they take on League leaders Napoli on Sunday at home.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
