Sampdoria set a club record four straight victories at the start of a Serie A season with a 4-1 success over lowly Siena on Sunday that took them to the top of the table.
Sampdoria lead Juventus on goals scored to be the unlikely pace-setters at this early stage of the season.
It wasn’t such good news for their city rivals Genoa, though, who could also have gone top, but they lost their 100 percent record with a 3-1 defeat at Chievo.
PHOTO: EPA
Meanwhile, Inter coach Jose Mourinho, who on Saturday launched a broadside at his Italian critics, was sent off for arguing with the referee as the champions came back from a first-half deficit to beat Cagliari 2-1 in Sardinia.
Brazilian Jeda gave the hosts the lead from the spot on 16 minutes, while Samuel Eto’o went closest for the visitors before the break with a curling free-kick that flew just past the post.
Argentine forward Diego Milito scored two in the first 10 minutes of the second period to give Inter a third win in four games.
Milito said his coach’s bad mood was nothing out of the ordinary.
“It’s normal, he’s a coach with a winner’s mentality and he wants to win every game,” Milito said. “After Wednesday’s match against Barcelona [a 0-0 draw in the Champions League] we struggled in the first half physically and mentally. After the break, we played better and the goals followed.”
Sampdoria scored through Angelo Palombo, Daniele Mannini and a Marco Padalino brace, while Siena’s consolation goal coming from Michele Fini.
As ever, however, it was former AS Roma and Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano at the center of everything for Sampdoria as he also provided his fourth assist in as many games.
Palombo got things under way on 23 minutes, jinking into space on the edge of the box before shooting home low past Gianluca Curci in the Siena goal.
Cassano then set Mannini free on 31 minutes with a slide rule pass that his teammate dinked cleverly over Curci.
Padalino added the third early in the second period and although Fini pulled a goal back, Padalino was on hand five minutes from time to knock home the rebound after striker Giampaolo Pazzini’s shot had been blocked by Curci.
Coach Luigi Del Neri refused to rule out a title push this season and praised his Bari-born star Cassano.
“Our aim is to play well and to show the qualities of the group. Then there are some supersonic players, like the one from Bari, who when he has the ball at his feet he makes a difference and works hard for the team,” De Neri said. “Sampdoria don’t have any limits. We’re not aiming for anything in particular, but we’re not putting limits on ourselves either. We’ll see Sunday after Sunday.”
Neighbors Genoa lost their chance to return to the top in a disappointing performance against Chievo in which they showed signs of tiredness following their Europa League efforts on Thursday.
They were 2-0 down inside seven minutes after Michele Marconi slotted home a penalty awarded for a foul by Giuseppe Biava on Erjon Bogdani, who then converted a cross from Luciano at the back post after Genoa’s defense had all missed it.
Sergio Floccari converted a second-half spot-kick to give Genoa hope, but Sergio Pellissier finished off the visitors following some head tennis in the Genoa box 13 minutes from time.
Floccari had another chance to score from the spot deep into injury-time, but Stefano Sorrentino saved that effort.
Dutch veteran Clarence Seedorf scored the only goal of the game as AC Milan labored to a 1-0 home win over Bologna.
Claudio Ranieri maintained his winning Serie A start as Roma coach as his side beat Fiorentina 3-1 in the capital thanks to a brace from club captain Francesco Totti.
Catania earned their first point of the season with a 1-1 home draw against Lazio, leaving Atalanta bottom with no points following another dreadful outing, a 4-1 thumping at newly-promoted Bari.
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