Both with just three points from their last six Serie A matches, Sampdoria and Udinese aim for an upturn in fortunes on Sunday, when they meet at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
While Samp followed last week's Coppa Italia exit with another league loss on Monday, their visitors were beaten by Bologna as their mid-season slump continued.
Match preview
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Already mired in a scrap near the foot of Serie A and in serious relegation trouble, Sampdoria came home empty-handed from their second game in Tuscany over the space of four days, and sit second from bottom just before the season's halfway stage.
After losing 1-0 to Fiorentina to slide out of the cup for another year, the Blucerchiati were beaten by the same scoreline at Stadio Carlo Castellani, where Empoli took maximum points from a close-fought encounter; leaving their visitors on just nine points so far this term.
Sampdoria are therefore one of three teams with fewer than 10 on the board, and since 2005 only one of the six sides to find themselves in such a sorry state after 18 rounds ultimately avoided the drop to Serie B.
Not only were Dejan Stankovic's men beaten twice on Tuscan soil in short order, but they have also lost each of their last six home games - the club's longest such run in Serie A. Furthermore, they have failed to find the net in their most recent five at Marassi.
The numbers get even worse upon closer analysis, as having scored just eight times so far this season, Samp are now seven points adrift of safety - and with a terrible goal difference. They have, though, won five of their last seven Serie A meetings with Udinese.
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Although they came out on top in the clubs' most recent meeting, last March at the Dacia Arena, Udinese have won just one of their last 17 away games against Sampdoria in the league - and none since 2012.
Andrea Sottil's current side will arrive in Genoa amid a worrying decline, which has seen them slip from the top four to among the also-rans during the course of the past few months.
Their latest setback proved all the more frustrating after having taken the lead at home to Bologna last week, as Beto's 10th-minute opener was rendered worthless when the Bianconeri conceded twice in the final half-hour.
Despite their winless streak now standing at 10 top-flight fixtures, a bright start to the season has helped them accrue 25 points, and they would match their best total at the season's midpoint for nine years by beating Sampdoria on Sunday.
Now distant from the European challengers they may be, but Udinese still occupy eighth place and remain in pole position to finish 'best of the rest' behind a well-established top seven.
Team News
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Due to a lack of squad depth, there are few options open to Dejan Stankovic should he wish to shake up his starting XI on Sunday, but veteran midfielder Tomas Rincon at least returns from suspension.
Fabio Quagliarella (knee), Andrea Conti (tendon) and Ignacio Pussetto (knee) are among those still out of action for Sampdoria due to injury. More positively, English midfielder Harry Winks should make a long-awaited first Serie A start.
Featuring on the left flank of a likely 3-4-1-2 formation, wing-back Tommaso Augello is joint-top of Samp's goal involvements list this season (with one of his own and two assists); level with Manolo Gabbiadini, who joins recent arrival Sam Lammers up front after Francesco Caputo's exit for Empoli earlier this month.
Udinese, meanwhile, hope to have their main creative spark back on the pitch this weekend - though perhaps starting from the bench - as Gerard Deulofeu returns from injury.
This term, the Friulani have a 1.6 points-per-game average in 15 fixtures featuring Deulofeu; they have managed 0.3 per game without him.
Only long-term absentee Adam Masina is therefore set to miss the trip to Liguria, so Isaac Success should partner Beto - who scored his first-ever Serie A goal against Sampdoria at Marassi, in October 2021 - up front for the visitors.
Sampdoria possible starting lineup:
Audero; Colley, Nuytinck, Amione; Leris, Rincon, Winks, Augello; Sabiri; Lammers, Gabbiadini
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Becao, Bijol, Perez; Pereyra, Samardzic, Walace, Arslan, Udogie; Success, Beto
We say: Sampdoria 0-1 Udinese
Sampdoria have scored only once this month, and Udinese have barely fared better, so a hatful of goals is not on the agenda when they meet this weekend. Instead, a tight affair should be expected, in which the away side come out on top by the narrowest of margins.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
