Sampdoria vs Cittadella: Granata meet a desperate Blucerchiati

By the time Cittadella achieved promotion to Serie B for the first time in 2000, Sampdoria had already won four Coppa Italia’s, the Supercoppa Italiana, the European Cup Winners’ Cup and a historic Scudetto.

Fast forward 25 years and both clubs are fighting to stay in Serie B. The Blucerchiati, sitting in the automatic relegation zone, are desperate to avoid a first relegation to Serie C with six games remaining.

It’s shaping up to be a massive relegation six-pointer on Saturday as the Granata travel to Genova to face Sampdoria in front of an expected 25,000 spectators at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Both sides are separated by three points going into the weekend, with the Ligurians aiming to record their first victory since Feb. 8.

Cittadella, however, has been road warriors this season. Victories in Pisa, Castellammare di Stabia and Palermo are just three of the seven road wins Alessandro Dal Canto’s side has recorded this season. The Granata hold the fifth best road record in Serie B (7-2-7), and will be looking to secure an eighth away win of the season on Saturday.

“Those games also take a turn on the episodes. When one happens, it changes the game,” Dal Canto said in his prematch press conference on the team’s travel success. “Maybe the statistics say we have fewer problems on the road where we play teams who leave space in behind. But every game is not the same, and it will be extremely difficult. We are ready for anything that could happen.”

Dal Canto’s team remains outside the relegation zone by a single point going into Matchday 33. The Granata recorded two straight draws since returning from the international break against Cremonese and Carrarese. A win would put Cittadella one step closer to safety: something Dal Canto believes can be achieved with a few more results.

“In the last six games we need to win at least two,” he said. “I think 41 or 42 points, given the six-pointers we have, could be enough. We’ve beaten teams in difficult stadiums but also lost six-pointers. We have to play at our maximum with a clear mind.”

Perhaps nobody could have foreseen Sampdoria’s situation at the start of the season. The former Serie A champions are enduring a seven-game winless streak, and have only won twice in their last 22 league games. With six games remaining, Sampdoria occupies 18th place and sits three points from 15th-placed Cittadella.

After last Sunday’s 2-0 loss against Spezia, Samp is onto its fourth coach of the season. Alberico Evani, appointed on Monday, looks to give the Blucerchiati a much-needed emotional boost, while Attilio Lombardo will take over as assistant coach.

“It’s a breath of enthusiasm from the old Sampdoria,” Dal Canto said on his opponent’s situation. “For us, it means we don’t have certainly with their playing style. We have tried to prepare ourselves in broad terms for anything that can happen.”

In Cittadella’s previous two trips to Genova, the Granata have came away victorious on both occasions. At the end of 2022, Mirko Antonucci’s goal sealed three points against Genoa in a 1-0 victory, while a comeback against Sampdoria in 2023 gave the club its first ever win against the Blucerchiati.

Dal Canto’s men will be looking to make it three wins from the last three trips to the port city, while potentially denting Sampdoria’s survival hopes.

“They have their problems and we have our own,” he said. “Because of the value of their squad, they can also foresee a positive streak.

“We are going to be playing in front of 30,000 fans, so the game from an emotional point of view is already there.”

MATCH: Sampdoria vs Cittadella – Serie BKT Matchday 33

DATE: April 12, 2025 – 17:15 CET (11:15 EST)

VENUE: Stadio Luigi Ferraris – Genova

LIVE STREAM: Destination Calcio

TOP PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti / A.S. Cittadella