SAMPDORIA

League position: 20th
Head coach: Dejan Stankovic
Serie A top scorer: Filip Djuricic (two)

RECENT FORM

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

Sampdoria are one of just two sides still without a league victory in Serie A, and Monday’s hosts sit bottom of the division going into Matchday 10.

The club relieved Marco Giampaolo of his duties prior to their meeting with Bologna last time out, as new boss Stankovic - who won the treble under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan - earned his team just their third point of the campaign thanks to a 1-1 draw.

As for Mourinho’s outfit, they’ve won their last two in the league and could move third if they claim all three points in Genoa.

They will be without the services of top scorer Paulo Dybala, who misses out through injury, but Nicolo Zaniolo is back after serving a European suspension in the midweek draw at Real Betis.

Possible Sampdoria line-up

(4-2-3-1)

Audero; Bereszynski, Ferrari, Colley, Augello; Rincon, Vieira; Gabbiadini, Sabiri, Djuricic; Caputo

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Filip Djuricic

Stankovic will be looking to his fellow Serb for inspiration on Monday, with Djuricic already proving his worth to the new coach by grabbing the late equaliser at Bologna.

That was Djuricic’s second league goal of the campaign and just La Samp’s fifth, highlighting his importance to the side.

The 30-year-old is expected to line up on the left of Sampdoria’s attack, with Manolo Gabbiadini on the right and Francesco Caputo through the middle.

On paper, it’s a potent looking front-three, but they’re yet to click this season.

MATCH STATS

Not only are Roma unbeaten in six against Sampdoria in Serie A (W3, D3), the Giallorossi have won five of the last eight top-flight meetings.

Roma won their last league trip to Sampdoria and they could collect two away wins in a row against this weekend’s hosts for the first time since 2008.

Not since April have Sampdoria gone two consecutive league games without losing and their last Serie A victory came in May.

This is the eighth time that Roma have won at least six of their first nine matches since Serie A moved to three points for a win and, in each of the previous seven such seasons, they finished in the top three.

PLAYER STATS

• Djuricic has been directly involved in four goals (two goals, two assists) in his last four Serie A matches against Roma.
  
• Gonzalo Villar has made eight appearances for La Samp since joining them on loan from Roma in the summer.
  
• Andrea Belotti has scored nine Serie A goals against Sampdoria, his joint-most against an opponent (also nine against Sassuolo).
  
• Francesco Totti is this fixture’s record goalscorer with 15.

WHAT THEY SAID

“I spoke to [Mourinho] on FaceTime. I have great respect for who he is as a person and as a coach.

“I learned a lot from him, on and off the pitch. He is a strong-minded individual. We made a beautiful journey together.”

- Stankovic on going up against his former coach at Inter, Mourinho