Sampdoria secured a narrow 2:1 victory over Catanzaro at the Luigi Ferraris on Saturday, moving to five points from five matches in the Serie B regular season. The hosts had been winless in their opening four outings before breaking through late in the second half. Catanzaro, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom of the table with just a single win from their campaign.
The first half ended goalless despite a steady flow of chances from both sides. Stefan Gartenmann turned the ball into his own net on 45+2 minutes, a moment that left Sampdoria ahead before the interval. Lorenzo Insigne appeared to extend the lead shortly after the restart, but his 53rd-minute strike was cancelled by VAR. By then, the visitors were growing into the game with 58 per cent possession and more control in midfield.
Insigne finally got his goal from the spot on 55 minutes, and Sampdoria began to look comfortable. Oliver Abildgaard picked up a second yellow card on 64 minutes, reducing the hosts to ten men and changing the complexion of the match. Catanzaro pressed forward, but their shots went astray — Yari Verschaeren came on for Insigne on 70 minutes, a substitution that kept fresh legs in the attack.
Tjas Begic equalised for Catanzaro on 85 minutes, but Sampdoria held on grimly despite the numerical disadvantage and the late pressure. The home side created four big chances throughout the match compared to two for the visitors, and that quality showed when Insigne finally found the net. Catanzaro registered only one shot on target from seven attempts, a reflection of how difficult it was to break down the defence.
The statistics told a different story on paper. Catanzaro completed 394 passes to Sampdoria's 270, but accuracy proved more important than volume. The hosts' shot accuracy sat at 35 per cent while their opponents managed just 10 per cent, and those missed opportunities eventually cost the visitors.
Sampdoria move to five points, still in the lower reaches but no longer winless. Catanzaro remain on three points in 19th place, and the gap to safety has not closed. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact. The fact is that the club sits top of the table
