Sampdoria thrash struggling Bologna

Sampdoria thrash struggling Bologna

Sampdoria maintained their challenge at the top of Serie A with a comfortable 4-1 win over struggling Bologna at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Giampaolo Pazzini put the home side ahead with his sixth goal of the season in the eighth minute and a brace from Daniele Mannini and a long-range effort from Reto Ziegler put Samp in command with only 33 minutes played.

Marco di Vaio was sent off for dissent on a miserable night for Bologna, who hardly even smiled at their consolation goal from Pablo Osvaldo in the 62nd minute.

A defeat for Franco Colomba in his first game in charge of Bologna means they will end the weekend no higher than 18th.

Samp took the lead with their first attack of the game in the eighth minute with Pazzini providing the finish to a smooth team move.

Angelo Palombo's deep, sweeping ball was controlled perfectly by Antonio Cassano, whose sublime first touch took the ball past Salvatore Lanna and enabled him to break into the right-hand side of the penalty area, from where he teed up Pazzini for a tap-in from six yards.

Di Vaio had Bologna's first chance moments later, but he headed wide of the post.

The home side then doubled their lead with perfect efficiency, converting their second chance of the match.

And it was another well-worked goal with Pazzini controlling the ball, turning and passing it into the path of Mannini in an instant, and the Blucerchiati winger volleyed the ball past Emiliano Viviano at his near post.

Everything appeared to be turning to gold for the home side, who went three ahead in the 26th minute.

Palombo took the ball to the right where Mannini changed direction and brought it back inside towards Ziegler, who took over with a shot from 25 yards nestling in the bottom corner of Viviano's goal.

Di Vaio could not hide his frustration and, as Samp were celebrating their third goal, he was shown a second yellow card for complaining to referee Massimiliano Saccani.

With 10 men and already behind by three goals, Bologna's hopes were well and truly shattered, but Marcelo Zalayeta still managed to create their best chance of the game so far on the half-hour mark

when he beat the offside trap, but he was soon hounded out by two Samp defenders before he could get in a shot.

Mannini scored his second of the night and his fifth of the season in the 33rd minute with all of the credit going once again to Cassano.

He cut in from the left and, after a series of stepovers, he crossed the ball to the far post where Mannini was unmarked to nod in the fourth.

Viviano prevented a fifth with an excellent reflex save to deny Pazzini before tipping over a shot from Cassano just before half-time.

Osvaldo grabbed a consolation for Bologna just seconds after entering the field as a substitute.

Daniele Portanova's header cannoned back off the crossbar and Marco Rossi's attempted head back to Luca Castellazzi was too short, allowing Osvaldo to steal in, round the Samp goalkeeper and place the ball into the empty net.