The Daily Star Ireland
AS Roma, a club with nine Italian Cup titles, has not won the trophy since 2008 and has not reached a final in over ten years. The team is now looking to make a fresh start in the competition, coming off a solid run of form. They recently triumphed 4-1 at home against Lecce, followed by a 3-0 victory over Braga in the Europa League. Last weekend, Roma extended their winning streak with a 3-0 victory over Calcio Como, making it three wins in a row across all competitions.
On the other hand, Sampdoria has been struggling, failing to win any of their last six league matches. Their recent record includes three defeats: 1-0 to Brescia, 3-0 to Pisa, and 5-1 to the dominant Sassuolo. Sampdoria attempted to bounce back with a home game against Spezia last weekend, but they continue to face challenges.
Sampdoria, despite their recent struggles, has a rich history, having won the Italian Cup four times (1985, 1988, 1989, and 1994). Under coach Claudio Ranieri, they will be missing key player Cristante due to injury. However, Ranieri can still rely on a strong squad, including players returning from suspensions, such as French midfielder Le Fée and Spanish defenders Angelino and Hermoso. Ukrainian forward Dovbyk, who impressed last season with Girona, and Paulo Dybala, often used as a substitute this season, will also be available. Central defender Alex Ferrari, who has started the last three league matches, is doubtful due to an injury sustained against Sassuolo.
Sampdoria will also be without injured players Bereszynski, Romagnoli, and Ronaldo Vieira. On the attacking side, Coda and Tutino, both contributors in Serie B, will be important players for Sampdoria in this matchup.
Prediction
In terms of recent performances, Roma’s last ten Coppa Italia home games have typically seen no more than three goals. Sampdoria’s away matches have followed a similar trend, with eight of their last nine games in the competition also ending with fewer than three goals.
Prediction: AS Roma 1-1 Sampdoria
