Sampdoria 2- Roma 1: Roma Happened

Sampdoria started out the match the more threatening side, earning a few corners and a shot on goal in the opening 10 minutes. Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis made his only real save of the first half when Sampdoria midfielder Joaquin Correa put a long range effort on target in the 9th minute. As the match settled down Roma's pressing and possession of the ball became more apparent, yet failed to give the giallorossi the advantage going into half time.

Midfielder Radja Nainggolan had Roma's best chance of the first half. In the 12th minute, Nainggolan missed a shot from point blank range (in Gervinho-esque fashion really) after the rebound from a corner kick fell to him in the box. Sampdoria goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano was only tested a few times in the first half, and midfielder Miralem Pjanic was responsible for it. Pjanic hit a stinging one time shot from outside the box that Viviano had to punch away in the 23rd minute. Pjanic then had a curling shot from outside the box that was easily saved in the 35th minute.

Roma seemed to be camped just outside the Sampdoria box for much of the first half, but the score was still 0-0 at half time. Commentator Richard Whittle counted 10 (?!?!) Roma corners in the first half, and none of them were threatening at all. It was like watching someone bang their head against a wall repeatedly. As great as right back Alessandro Florenzi has been recently, Roma's Lahm couldn't hit the side of a barn with a cross today for whatever reason.

Fans at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris didn't have to wait long after the second half started to see a goal. In the 49th minute Sampdoria striker Eder scored a well taken free kick from about 30 yards out, with the ball bending around Roma's wall and bouncing into the bottom left corner of the goal to give Sampdoria a 1-0 lead. The slim lead was short lived though as Roma increased the pressure on Sampdoria to find an equalizer.

ÉDER! Sampdoria 1x0 Roma pic.twitter.com/WrzLcCB4Us

— Futmais (@futmais) September 23, 2015

Winger Mohamed Salah finally provided the equalizer for Roma in the 69th minute, coolly slotting home the ball after a cheeky pass from Pjanic that left Salah open at very close range. Roma pushed forward for the winner after equalizing only to find more corner kicks. Roma's hopes of at least salvaging a point in a draw were extinguished in the 85th minute. Sampdoria hit Roma on a counter attack, and Eder managed to find his way into the box to unleash a deflected shot that defender Kostas Manolas accidentally turned into the goal in an attempted clearance.

Salah kvitterar borta mot Sampdoria http://t.co/HqxL9gJGLc — Unibet Sverige (@Unibet_Sverige) September 23, 2015

Sampdoria, Manolas'ın kendi kalesine attığı gol ile yeniden öne geçiyor. https://t.co/28Yy2VqwJT

— Arka Direk (@arkadirekcom) September 23, 2015

In essence, Roma happened today. Yet again. And we at CDT thought tying Sassuolo was bad...