Sampdoria beat Parma 2:0 in a club friendly on Saturday evening. The visitors opened the scoring within five minutes and doubled their advantage six minutes later. By then Parma had already looked rattled, and the result settled the evening.
O. Abildgaard found the net in the fifth minute. The striker took advantage of a momentary lapse in Parma's defensive shape and finished cleanly. And here's the thing — Parma's back line had been organized enough in the opening exchanges, but the pressure told quickly.
T. Lauritsen added a second goal in the twelfth minute. The attack carved them open again, and this time Parma offered no resistance. To be fair, the hosts had thrown bodies forward after going behind, which left space behind. One mistake ends it, and Parma made two in quick succession.
The statistics tell a curious story. Parma registered 102 attacks against Sampdoria's 63, yet the scoreline went the other way. Possession sat at 50:50, and Parma won eight corners to none. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, and here Parma squandered theirs.
Sampdoria's recent form has been mixed. They lost 1:2 to Novara on 1 August, drew 0:0 with Cagliari, and beat Taverna 2:0 before that. The win in Parma extends their run of not losing in three of their last five friendlies.
Parma will take the result as a warning. They drew their last two friendlies and beat Sassuolo 1:0 in May, but this performance suggested they need more time together. The score was 2:0, and the gap between the two sides was clear enough.