SAMPDORIA

League position: 15th
Head coach: Roberto D'Aversa
Serie A top-scorer: Antonio Candreva (six)

RECENT FORM

ROMA: L L W W W
SAMPDORIA: W L L W D

The Giallorossi’s emphatic win over Atalanta last time out has them well placed to launch an assault on the top four in the New Year and Jose Mourinho’s side could move to within three points of La Dea with victory.

That would represent a fine end to the year for Roma and provide them with the perfect platform to build upon after the winter break.

Sampdoria, meanwhile, were denied back-to-back Serie A wins of their own by a late Thomas Henry equaliser as La Samp drew 1-1 with Venezia on Sunday.

That draw leaves Sampdoria on 19 points after 18 games, nine clear of safety but still six adrift of the top half.

Possible Sampdoria line-up

(4-4-2)

Audero; Bereszynski, Yoshida, Colley, Augello; Candreva, Silva, Ekdal, Thorsby; Gabbiadini, Caputo

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Manolo Gabbiadini

A 34-year-old owner of 54 Italy caps, Candreva’s experience is vital to the Sampdoria cause as they hope to steer themselves as far up the table as possible.

His six goals and seven assists make up half of Sampdoria’s 26 league goals this term, proving just how critical Candreva’s contributions are.

But, while Candreva remains his team’s most dangerous man from the right of their four-man midfield, it’s Gabbiadini that is the most red-hot striker in the team right now.

The 30-year-old has scored in each of his last four matches and between him and Candreva lies Sampdoria’s most potent weaponry.

If Gabbiadini were to miss the game, as has been speculated in some quarters, it would be a big blow to the visitors.

MATCH STATS

Sampdoria may have been 2-0 victors in the last Serie A meeting, but they haven’t won two in a row against the Giallorossi since 2015.

The last top-flight draw between these two at the Olimpico came back in September 2012, with Roma winning six and losing just twice since then.

Roma have won each of the last three league games at home to Sampdoria, their longest winning streak against this week’s visitors since 1983’s seven-game run.

No team has kept more clean sheets at home in Serie A this season than Roma (five).

PLAYER STATS

• Tammy Abraham has scored six Serie A goals this season - with four in his last six games - and has only once scored more in a single top-flight campaign; in 2019/2020, with 15 goals for Chelsea in the Premier League.
  
• Chris Smalling has scored in each of his previous two appearances and Roma have won every game (six) that the Englishman has scored.
  
• Gabbiadini has just once scored in more successive league appearances than his current four having scored five in a row for both Napoli and Southampton.

WHAT THEY SAID

“The result shouldn’t detract from our performance, even if we should regret how it came about … As for the Roma game, we have no margin for error, and we’ll have to perform really well against a team who just went to Bergamo and scored four goals.”

- Sampdoria coach D’Aversa