Sampdoria stay on top

MILAN: Marco Padalino came off the substitutes’ bench to score twice as Sampdoria beat Siena 4-1 on Sunday to stay top of Serie A and ahead of Juventus on goal difference.

Angelo Palombo and Daniele Mannini scored in the first half and Padalino grabbed a brace in the second, with Michele Fini responding for the visitors. Victory meant Sampdoria has a maximum 12 points from four games.

City rivals Genoa were unable to keep up their 100 per cent record and slipped to a 3-1 loss at Chievo, for whom Michele Marcolini, Erjon Bogdani and Sergio Pellissier found the net. Champions Inter Milan moved up to third on 10 points with a 2-1 victory at Cagliari. Diego Milito grabbed both goals after Jeda opened the scoring for the hosts with a penalty, but coach Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands in the second half for taking his protests too far.

After a slow start by Sampdoria, Palombo burst through the midfield and shot low from the edge of the area to give his side the lead in the 23rd. From Antonio Cassano’s chip behind the defense, Mannini lifted the ball over Siena keeper Gianluca Curci to double the lead. Cassano was involved with the third when Curci parried his shot, but the ball ran into the path of Padalino and the Swiss, who had come on at the start of the second half, slotted home the rebound.

Fini gave Siena some hope in the 68th minute, when his shot from the edge of the area caught Sampdoria keeper Luca Castellazzi by surprise. But five minutes from time Padalino grabbed his second in similar fashion to his first, tapping in after Curci had blocked Giampiero Pazzini’s effort.

Inter were made to work for their win when Jeda fired home a penalty in the 16th minute after Maicon had tripped Alessandro Matri. Daniele Conti dithered on the ball and, when he was tackled by Samuel Eto’o, Milito pounced on the loose ball and raced into the area to slot past Federico Marchetti for an equaliser. Milito doubled his tally in the 56th minute. Dejan Stankovic hit a long ball over the defense and again the Argentine outpaced the defense to score.

AS Roma bounced back from losing their Europa League match to Basle with a 3-1 win over Fiorentina. Also, it was: Bari 4, Atalanta 1; Catania 1, Lazio 1; AC Milan 1, Bologna 0; Parma 1, Palermo.