Match Previews

Sampdoria missing Hugo Campagnaro (r) (def) and Angelo Palombo (r) (mid) through injury, Massimo Bonnani (sp) (mid) is not in the UEFA Cup squad, Antonio Mirante (r) (gk) has recovered and should start in goal... Sampdoria will hope to put a poor start to their Serie A campaign behind them when they travel to the Stadion Partizani in Belgrade to take on hosts Partizan. Sampdoria were on the end of a 3-0 thrashing by Milan at the weekend, and with coach Walter Mazzarri under considerable pressure, he will hope that a team that is missing Hugo Campagnaro and Angelo Palombo through injury can take a positive result from this opening group stage clash in a group that also contains heavyweights Sevilla, Stuttgart and Standard Liege. Massimo Bonnani is not the squad but Antonio Mirante has shrugged off a knock and should start in goal, with Stefano Lucchini, Daniele Gastaldello and Pietro Accardi likely to start in defence. In midfield Marius Stankevicius was rested in the league last weekend, and he should be fairly fresh as he lines up alongside Paolo Sammarco, Reto Ziegler, veteran Daniele Franceschini and Mirko Pieri in midfield, although Marco Padolino may be preferred to the Lithuanian Stankevicius instead. Up front the athletic Gennaro Delvecchio could play off the shoulder of Antonio Cassano, with striker Emiliano Bonazzoli looking more and more like a bit-part player for the Blucerchiati, particularly now that he faces competition from Claudio Bellucci and Bruno Fornaroli for a place in the squad. Sampdoria cruised through the first round of the UEFA Cup by thrashing hapless Lithuanian outfit FBK Kaunas, but a trip to a hostile Belgrade could prove a different prospect entirely for the Genoa-based club. They will hope to be at their best here, with Walter Mazzarri looking to ease some of the pressure on himself following a poor start to Sampdoria's domestic campaign.