REPORT: Swans 4 Sampdoria 0

5th August
Pre-season

The Swans completed their pre-season preparations with an impressive 4-0 victory over Sampdoria at the Liberty Stadium.

The home side looked comfortable and lively throughout with goals from Leroy Fer, Tammy Abraham, Federico Fernandez and an own goal from Ricky Alvarez sealing a deserved win that would have pleased manager Paul Clement.

It was the perfect confidence booster ahead of the big Premier League opener at Southampton on Saturday.

The Swans made a lively start as Tom Carroll and Kyle Naughton delivered dangerous crosses into the box from opposite flanks which just evaded Abraham.

The Chelsea loan signing volleyed just over seconds later, before Wayne Routledge dragged his shot inches wide from the edge of the area with 13 minutes gone.

As the lively Swans pushed for the opener, Jordan Ayew volleyed goalwards from 25 yards only for Andrea Tozzo to pull off a fine sprawling save down to his left.

The home side had to wait until the 40th minute to make the breakthrough, when Carroll whipped in a free-kick from the left and Fer leapt highest in the box to head home his second goal in a week.

Leon Britton nearly doubled the lead two minutes later, but his shot flew over the bar, but Clement must have been pleased enough with his team’s first-half showing.

The second half started in bizarre fashion as virtually from the kick-off Alvarez’s backpass proved too strong for keeper Tozzo and the ball rolled into an empty net for an own goal and a 2-0 home lead.

That lead was extended to three goals in the 65th minute when Abraham met a Carroll cross that was parried into his path by Tozzo, with the striker bundling the ball home from close range.

Sampdoria’s appeals for handball fell on deaf ears.

The goals kept coming as Carroll delivered a corner that found Fernandez completely unmarked and the central defender headed home to complete the scoring with 76 minutes on the clock.

 

Swans: Fabianski, Naughton (Rangel 89), Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson (Kingsley 77), Britton (c) Mesa 58), Fer (Fulton 89), Carroll, Routledge, Ayew (McBurnie 85), Abraham (Narsingh 73).
Subs not used: Nordfeldt, Mulder, van der Hoorn, Grimes, Bartley, Kingsley.

Sampdoria: Tozzo, Barreto, Alvarez, Praet, Regini (capt), Bereszynski, Silvestre, Quagliarella, Murru, Torreira, Kownacki.
Subs: Puggioni, Simic, Dodo, Sala, Caprari, Duricic, Ferrari, Linetty, Verre, Leverbe, Capezzi, Bonazzoli.

Ref: Lee Evans (Wales)

Asst-refs: P Thomas & I Bird
4th official: D John