Sampdoria and Catanzaro meet at the Ferraris with both sides still searching for a spark in this Serie B campaign. The bookmakers have not made either team a clear favourite, which tells you everything about the mood: two attack-shy outfits, each prone to the kind of defensive lapse that decides tight games. Sampdoria's recent outings have been stodgy, lacking the cutting edge that Corradi's 4-2-3-1 is designed to provide, while Catanzaro have been equally unimpressive going forward, rarely turning promising spells into goals. Neither side arrives with momentum, but Sampdoria's home advantage and the pressure of a 'gara da dentro o fuori' — a match that feels like a crossroads even this early — should sharpen the Blucerchiati's focus.

Catanzaro's travels have been unconvincing, and their recent Coppa Italia outing against Sudtirol, where they were expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 with Iemmello leading the line, offered little evidence of a side ready to dominate away from home. The Calabrians have shown flashes through the likes of Mosti and Petriccione, but the final third remains a work in progress. Sampdoria, for their part, have the individuals — Insigne, Verschaeren, Lauritsen — to unlock a defence, even if the collective hasn't clicked yet. At home, with the Ferraris crowd behind them, they should at least avoid defeat.