CATANZARO-SAMPDORIA 0-0
Catanzaro (3-4-2-1): Pigliacelli 7; Frosinini 6 (37′ st Bashi sv), Brighenti 7, Cassandro 6; Favasuli 6.5, Rispoli 6 (30′ st Di Francesco 6), Petriccione 6, D’Alessandro 6 (30′ st Buglio 6); Iemmello 5.5 (21′ st Liberali 6), Cisse 6; Pittarello 6 (21′ st Pandolfi 5.5). All. Aquilani 6
Sampdoria (3-4-2-1): Martinelli 7; Hadzikadunic 6, Abildgaard 6, Viti 6 (1′ st Vulikic 6); Depaoli 6, Conti 6, Henderson 6.5, Giordano 6; Pafundi 6 (38′ st Bellemo sv), Cherubini 6 (24′ st Begic 6); Tail 5.5 (11′ st Brunori 5.5). All. Gregucci-Foti 6
Referee: Sozza di Seregno 6
NOTES: 8,290 spectators (of which 5,877 season ticket holders), takings of 115,554 euros. Cassandro, Petriccione, Henderson, Frosinini and Abildgaard were booked for incorrect play. Corners 3-4. Rec. 1′; 5′
A 0-0 like in the first leg, perhaps a little less boring because Catanzaro hit the crossbar with Cisse and also came close to taking the lead with Pittarello and Sampdoria challenged Pigliacelli three times. However, the substance does not change and the draw is of little use to both, even if it gave the Giallorossi their first point of 2026.
Facilitated by the favorable wind, Samp’s man-on-man aggression created problems throughout the first half: at the start Catanzaro had difficulty in putting together noteworthy actions, then they gradually took over the field, but a couple of runs by Favasuli on the right and by Cisse on the left found no one ready to correct in the away area and, in general, they struggled to identify outlets, so much so that the first shot (outside) arrived in the 37th minute with Rispoli, replacement for the affected Pontisso. Not that the Blucerchiati did who knows what if we exclude the double chance on the development of a corner that fell on the heads of Abildgaard and Viti (Henderson’s cross) which tested Pigliacelli’s reactivity. However, the opponent’s 3-4-2-1 was more incisive vertically than the Giallorossi one, which had a defense redesigned by suspensions (Brighenti central, Frosinini and Cassandro “braccetti”).
In the second half Samp changed their attitude (also due to the headwind) and Catanzaro was immediately dangerous by positioning himself in the attacking midfield: Martinelli, diving, saved Pittarello’s header from Petriccione’s cross (2′), then was saved by the crossbar on Cisse’s great left foot, who had turned between three opponents from the edge. After an hour, Aquilani removed Pittarello and Iemmello for Pandolfi and Liberali, who took little time to shoot towards Martinelli, but then the important save was made by Pigliacelli on Depaoli’s header fed into the near post from Henderson’s corner (28′). There was little else apart from the substitutions, the rain and the cold wind.