If you ask the Sampdoria manager Marco Giampaolo, the idea that his team might compete for a Champions League spot this season is more like “science-fiction”. It was Giampaolo’s third consecutive derby win over Genoa, for one thing – the longest such streak enjoyed by any manager at the club since the early 1950s. More than that, it brought Sampdoria’s points tally to 23 after 11 games: their best start to a Serie A campaign. Sampdoria have 24 already – seven more than that title-winning side did at the corresponding stage – spread between nine different players. • For the second time this season, Napoli followed up a defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League with a goalless draw in Serie A.

Source: The Guardian November 06, 2017 13:11 UTC