Sampdoria vs Udinese preview - Sampdoria sure of form going on

Posted Saturday, December 20, 2014 by PA

High-flying Sampdoria are confident they can maintain their current impressive form when they take on Udinese on Sunday.

The Blucerchiati go into the encounter at the Luigi Ferraris stadium inspired by their six-game unbeaten run which has seen them creep up to fifth position in the Serie A standings.

Samp held league leaders Juventus to a 1-1 draw in Turin last time out and the outcome was a big morale boost for a team that has proved one of the most solid in the league, regardless of whether they play at home or on the road.

The Genoa outfit has won six and lost just one of their 15 games so far.

"We are doing a good job," Samp captain Angelo Palombo told his club's official website. "We are high up in the standings and we want to keep up our good run of form."

Palombo, whose side has yet to lose at home, has praised the work done by coach Sinisa Mihajlovic since he replaced Delio Rossi at the helm of Samp in November 2013.

Mihajlovic led Samp to a 12th-place finish last season and the Blucerchiati could end the year in third place if results go their way this weekend.

"When he arrived more than a year ago, we were playing badly and we were mentally depleted," Palombo said. "He has turned things around."

Andrea Stramaccioni's Udinese are ninth in the standings, five points adrift of Samp.

Last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Hellas Verona was Udinese's sixth defeat of the campaign and their second in their last three games.

The Friuli outfit nevertheless travels to Liguria confident it can pull out a surprise win at Samp.

"We want to do well in order to have a good Christmas," Udinese captain Antonio Di Natale said. "Samp have a good side but we know we can beat them even though they are playing at home."

The visitors are without injured defender Maurizio Domizzi and Brazilian midfielder Allan, who is suspended.

Samp are without the services of defender Alessio Romagnoli, who must serve a one-match ban.