In other years Udinese and Sampdoria would frequently battle it out for a Champions League spot, but this season both sides have disappointed and they are both in the bottom half of the Serie A table.

The Friulani hosted the Blucerchiati this afternoon, with the home side playing in a 4-3-3 formation with Italian internationals Simone Pepe, Fabio Quagliarella, and Antonio Di Natale in attack, while Samp played in a 4-4-2 system with Antonio Cassano and Claudio Bellucci up front.

First Half

The first chance fell in the 13th minute for the home side, as Di Natale made a run on the right wing and crossed the ball in, and defender Hugo Campagnaro anticipated Quagliarella, but hit the ball poorly, nearly deflecting the ball into his own net.

On the ensuing corner, midfielder Christian Obodo let go a powerful volley from distance that was nevertheless through the middle, allowing Samp goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi to grab the ball.

The visitors’ first chance arose in the 21st minute, when Cassano made a good run and found Bellucci with a precise low pass, but the striker’s touch was poor and he failed to trouble goalkeeper Samir Handanovic with his shot.

On the half hour mark, Udinese won a free kick from an interesting position, and Pepe nearly took advantage but his curling shot from about 30 meters was tipped over the crossbar by Castellazzi.

The last chance of a rather uneventful first half was again for the Friulani, as Gaetano D’Agostino took a corner that was headed on by Pepe, and the ball came to Di Natale, who controlled the ball with his thigh but sent it just wide of the target in the 43rd minute.

Just before the half-time whistle, Udinese claimed a penalty as Pepe was brought down by Reto Ziegler on a corner kick by D’Agostino, but the referee ignored the incident.

Second Half

No changes were made during half time by either coach.

In the 55th minute, the home side had a good opportunity to break the deadlock as Ziegler lost the ball on the edge of the area, and Pepe managed to get a touch on the ball with the tip of his foot, but the ball went straight to the goalkeeper.

Somewhat against the run of play, it was Sampdoria who took the lead two minutes later, Delvecchio rising high to head the ball towards the top corner of the net on a corner kick by Ziegler.

The home side tried to respond immediately, and in the 59th minute Obodo tried a shot from 20 meters, which went about a meter wide.

Three minutes after that, Udinese found a deserved equaliser, as Maurizio Domizzi poked the ball in from close range on a free kick move to make it 1-1.

The match settled down somewhat after this goal, as both sides looked happy with the result. The next chance came in the 75th minute, when Pepe headed the ball just over the bar on a free kick by D’Agostino.

Two minutes later, Di Natale came close with a great individual move, as he freed himself for a right-footed shot from the edge of the area and sent the ball just wide of the post with the goalkeeper beaten.

In the last ten minutes of the match, not a lot happened, although Udinese tried hardest to force a breakthrough. In the end, both sides had to make do with a draw that was pretty much the right result for this match, but that won’t help either side much. Udinese are in 11th place with 23 points, while Sampdoria are 14th with 20 points.

Teams

Udinese (4-3-3): Handanovic; Ferronetti, Coda, Domizzi, Lukovic (45’ Pasquale); Obodo, D’Agostino, Tissone (66’ Asamoah); Pepe, Quagliarella (83’ Floro Flores), Di Natale. Coach: Marino.

Sampdoria (4-4-2): Castellazzi; Campagnaro (19’ Ziegler), Gastaldello, Lucchini, Accardi; Padalino (84’ Stankevicius), Delvecchio, Sammarco (72’ Palombo), Gianfreschini; Bellucci, Cassano. Coach: Mazzarri.

Goals: 57’ Delvecchio (S), 62’ Domizzi (U)

Booked: Lucchini, Delvecchio, Sammarco (S)