Sampdoria vs AC Milan

Sampdoria and AC Milan are set to trade tackles at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in their opening 2021/22 Serie A fixtures.

Sampdoria eked out a ninth-place finish for the third time in four seasons, but Claudio Ranieri, who coached the team in 2020/21, is no longer in charge. New manager Roberto D’Aversa will be entrusted with helping Sampdoria ensure a more promising start to a new league campaign following a run of three consecutive opening day defeats ‘to nil.’ There is a platform to build on, though, with ‘La Samp’ winning their last two league matches without conceding – the last time they won three consecutive top-flight matches ‘to nil’ was in March 2015. Milan could be formidable opposition, considering the hosts have lost both of their last home Serie A H2Hs despite finding the net on each occasion. Regardless of the outcome, Sampdoria should at least get on the scoresheet here, having scored 2+ goals in their last four competitive home games.

On the other hand, Milan defied low expectations last season to ensure a runner-up finish and a place in the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2013/14. Remarkable, ‘I Rossoneri’ completed the 2020/21 campaign with a record-breaking 16 away league triumphs, a feat no other side across Europe’s top-five leagues has ever managed. Alarmingly, though, the visitors have suffered four defeats in their last six opening away Serie A fixtures (W2). A stalemate is seemingly off the table, considering Milan have drawn just one of their last 15 Serie A openers (W8, L6). The seven-time Champions League winners have kept five Serie A clean sheets in a row – the last time they registered more consecutive top-flight shutouts was in February 1994.