We had winning betting preview on the website yesterday, one full win(Thun v Lausanne – Super League) and a half win(Shanghai Shenhua v Guangzhou Evergrande – Super League). We have already added a betting preview for the match between Crotone and AC Milan and we will be adding two more!
Sampdoria will be without key forward Schick, whose future remains uncertain, while Quagliarella isn’t a definite starter, potentially leaving them short in attack, although Caprari will make his Serie A debut for the club. First choice goalkeeper Viviano is injured, so Puggioni covers after deputising well last season, while new signings Murru and Ferrari are competing to start in defence. The hosts will only be happy with all three points against a newly promoted Benevento side, so they will be looking to win throughout and will believe they should be beating the -0.75 handicap, at least for a half win. Their home form was patchy against teams who finished in the bottom half of the table last season though, as Benevento are expected to do, with breaking teams down a problem. The goal line of 2.5 looks right for this fixture, with Sampdoria not certain of scoring goals given their problems in attack and with Benevento lacking Serie A quality up top. Five low scoring draws from their ten home fixtures against bottom half sides last season is a theme that could continue this season, especially while they’re short in attack, and they’d be happy to win 1-0 or 2-0.
Benevento welcome some new players into their ranks for their first-ever Serie A match, with some having top flight experience and boosting quality, namely Cataldi and D’Alessandro. The hope is Costa will play in defence, but he’s a doubt and needs to be assessed, with it being a blow if he can’t play. Chibsah and Ceravolo are out, so they won’t be at full strength, with Viola and Puscas covering. There is excitement around the club following back to back promotions and they’ll be highly motivated for their first-ever Serie A fixture. With their remarkable rise comes a step up in quality though, and with a +0.75 handicap, they’d be delighted to start with a draw. A cautious approach is anticipated and they’ll aim to frustrate, but a big showing will be needed to avoid defeat. As Benevento will probably be happy to stay in the game and keep it at 0-0, they’ll set up accordingly, potentially making under 2.5 more likely than over on the goal-line. They lack real quality in all areas though, so may find it difficult to play the match on their terms, while if they’re one goal behind they may just carry on with the same cautious approach until the latter stages.
Verdict & Prediction
Sampdoria will be aiming for all three points at home to newly promoted Benevento on the opening weekend of the season, a fixture that they will certainly believe is very winnable. Anything less would be a disappointing opening to the campaign as they attempt to get off on the right foot. The uncertainty surrounding the future of Schick ST4 remains an issue hanging over the club and is an unwanted distraction, but full attention should be on the match. They didn’t win any of their last five home games at the end of last season, however, potentially creating some doubt.
Prediction: Sampdoria -0.75 Asian Handicap
Odds: 1.83 SBOBET, 1.81 Pinnacle
