Cittadella complete second half comeback to win against Sampdoria.

An inspiring second half comeback gave Cittadella its second win of the season, defeating Sampdoria 1-2 on Monday night.

Cittadella had tasted victory at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris less than a year ago, defeating Genoa in December. The Granata have now won twice at the ground following tonight’s match.

Edoardo Gorini’s side continued where they left off before the international break: keeping a high line of pressure in the first half. Filippo Pittarello nearly put Cittadella in front less than a minute in, but couldn’t convert a sloppy pass from Sampdoria keeper Filip Stankovic.

The hosts had 65% of the possession in the first half, but it was Cittadella who had the better of chances. However, Andrea Pirlo’s side went ahead just before the halftime whistle, after Antonino La Gumina finished off a neat turn and finish into the bottom corner.

After a halftime talk, Gorini substituted left back Lorenzo Carissoni for Federico Giraudo, and immediately made an impact. Andrea Magrassi made no mistake in front of goal following great play on the left wing by Carissoni, where the striker finished a cross three minutes after the break.

In the 66th minute, Cittadella took the lead of the match through a sensational volley from captain Simone Branca. The veteran center midfielder unleashed a rocket of a shot following a poor clearance from the Sampdoria backline, firing the ball into the corner.

The Granata defended well, not allowing Sampdoria to get a close attempt on goal. But in the final minutes of stoppage time, a late heroic effort by the Cittadella defense denied two big opportunities in front of goal from the Blucerchiati, confirming the win for Gorini’s men.

The three points puts Cittadella into 7th place on 8 points, improving its record to 2-2-1. The Granata return home on Sunday to face Como for the 6th Matchday of the season.

Top Photo: Tano Pecoraro/LaPresse