Parma 2 : 1 Sampdoria - Parma see off Samp

Parma got a much-needed 2-1 victory over the 10 men of Sampdoria to move away from the relegation zone and up to mid-table in Serie A.

An incident late in the first half handed Parma the initiative as goalkeeper Sergio Romero was sent off for a foul on Jonathan Biabiany inside the area and Amauri dispatched the penalty.

Parma made the most of their man advantage as Amauri doubled the lead early in the second half and, although Samp were handed a route back into the match with an Eder penalty nine minutes from time, Parma hung on for three vital points.

Parma had the first opening in the match, with Daniele Galloppa's cross fizzing dangerously across the goal area, but neither Amauri nor Ishak Belfodi could get the touch they needed.

At the other end, a cross-shot from Gaetano Berardi went narrowly over the crossbar, but Sampdoria failed to trouble Antonio Mirante.

Things turned the hosts way when Romero fouled Biabiany, and Amauri made no mistake with a penalty low into the bottom right-hand corner as Tommaso Berni's first touch of the ball was to pick it out of the net.

Berni could do little about Parma's second, either, with Amauri heading in from close range in the 53rd minute.

Andrea Costa squandered a chance for Samp to get back into the game five minutes later, somehow missing from close range when he got on the end of Enzo Maresca's free-kick.

Dorlan Pabon then had a pair of chances to extend Parma's advantage, but Berni saved his first shot low to his left and then watched another fly past the left-hand post.

Samp got a penalty of their own and in similar circumstances to the first, with goalkeeper Antonio Mirante the guilty party as he brought down Eder after the forward beat the offside trap.

Mirante escaped with a booking, but Eder beat him with a shot into the bottom right corner.

But, rather than pushing for an equaliser, Samp spent the rest of the match on the back foot, with Berni saving from Biabiany and then denying Amauri a hat-trick.