Sampdoria vs Taverne

Gennaro Tutino scored twice inside five first-half minutes — a 35th-minute finish from open play and a 40th-minute penalty — as Sampdoria beat Swiss side Taverne 2-0 in their first pre-season friendly of the 2026/27 campaign at the Centro Sportivo in Temù on Saturday.

How it unfolded

Bernardo Corradi, in his first match as Sampdoria head coach, fielded a 4-3-3 with Tutino as the central striker flanked by Francesco Forte on the left and Lirim Sinani on the right. Salvatore Esposito anchored the midfield, with Liam Henderson and Oliver Abildgaard completing the trio.

Taverne had the first real chance. Solzi fired from close range but Ghidotti saved well to keep it level.

Sampdoria took control in the 35th minute. Sinani and Tutino combined neatly on the edge of the box, and Tutino finished past Bollati to open the scoring. Five minutes later, Di Pardo was fouled in the area and the referee pointed to the spot. Tutino stepped up and converted the penalty for his second of the afternoon.

The turning point

Tutino's quickfire double between the 35th and 40th minutes effectively ended the contest before half-time. Taverne had looked organised and had threatened early through Solzi, but the two goals in quick succession forced Corradi's side to chase the game from the restart.

Second-half rotation

Corradi made a raft of changes in the second half. Krastev replaced Ghidotti in goal, Depaoli came on for Di Pardo, and Paratici for Forte at the break. Further wholesale changes followed in the 58th minute, with Malanca, Ferrari, Rodella, Girelli, Ferri, Bellemo, Sekulov and La Gumina all entering the fray.

Taverne pushed for a foothold. Rossetto shot just wide from a promising position, and later forced a corner from Ferrari's deflection. Peev saved well from Paratici's effort.

The match was marred by a serious injury to Sampdoria's Nikola Sekulov in the 70th minute. The winger was carried off on a stretcher with his hands covering his face, receiving applause from the crowd as he left the pitch. Mezzotero replaced him.

Key performers

Gennaro Tutino — the match-winner with a brace inside five minutes. His movement and link-up with Sinani for the first goal, followed by a calm penalty, showed exactly why Corradi started him as the central striker. Player of the Match.

Lirim Sinani — the assist for Tutino's opener was the highlight of a lively first-half display on the right flank.

Ghidotti — a sharp early save from Solzi kept Taverne from taking a shock lead, setting the platform for Sampdoria's dominance.

What it means

Sampdoria began their 2026/27 pre-season with a clean sheet and a win. The Serie B side are in the middle of a two-week training camp in Ponte di Legno and Temù (Alta Valle Camonica) that runs until 23 July. Their next friendly is against Serie A side Cagliari on Thursday 23 July, also at Temù (17:00 CEST). After that, they face Novara at the Mugnaini (1 August, closed doors) and Parma at the Stadio Tardini (9 August) before the competitive season begins with a Coppa Italia tie away at Cremonese on 17 August.

Taverne, who play in the Swiss 2. Liga Interregional (fifth tier), offered a disciplined first-half display but lacked the quality to trouble Sampdoria after the break.

Verdict

A routine opening friendly win for Corradi's Sampdoria, settled by Tutino's sharp finishing. The main concern will be the severity of Sekulov's injury, which cast a shadow over an otherwise positive first outing. The rotation-heavy second half limited rhythm, but the objective was minutes in legs — and that was achieved.