Sampdoria vs Fiorentina Preview - Di Carlo expects Samp response

Sampdoria coach Domenico Di Carlo has criticised his side's performance in midweek and has demanded a drastic improvement in Sunday's clash at Fiorentina.

Samp succumbed to a second-half strike from Rafinha to lose 1-0 at home to city rivals Genoa and Di Carlo was unimpressed by his team's display.

"We did not read the match properly for almost an hour," Di Carlo said. "We were not ourselves until they scored, and only then did we come to life.

"We should have played the match differently but we approached it the wrong way.

"Maybe my players were more nervous than usual because it was a derby, but what I cannot accept is that we allowed our rivals to dominate the game for so long.

"We need to make sure that doesn't happen at Fiorentina.

"I expect my team to respond on Sunday."

The Genoa outfit have lost four of their last five matches and lie 12th in the standings, two points behind Fiorentina.

Fiorentina also lost in midweek, falling to a 2-1 reverse at home to Inter Milan.

The defeat was the Viola's first at the Artemio Franchi stadium since October 3.

Fiorentina, who clinched their first win on the road at Palermo last weekend, felt they deserved at least a point against the defending champions.

"Inter scored with their only chance of the first half, while we created a great deal," said coach Sinisa Mihajlovic. "We didn't deserve to lose but unfortunately, we paid for minor mistakes against the Nerazzurri.

"It hurts to lose this game but we have to put this defeat behind us.

"On Sunday we face a difficult match against Sampdoria and we have to win."

The hosts will be without midfielder Mauro Santana, who is out for a week with a muscular injury.

Samp will be without strikers Mattia Destro and Mauro Boselli, both sidelined through injury.