Udinese snappped a three-match losing streak in beating 10-man Sampdoria 4-0 and ending the visitor’s unbeaten record in Serie A on Saturday.
Three of the four goals came from penalties, with Rodrigo De Paul, Maxi Lopez and substitute Seko Fofana converting. Lopez scored another from open play against his former club.
Samp played more than half the match with 10 men after Edgar Barreto’s dismissal.
Udinese had lost five of its opening matches while Samp was full of confidence after beating AC Milan 2-0.
But it was the home side which took the lead first through De Paul’s penalty after Maxi Lopez was brought down by Sampdoria goalkeeper Christian Puggioni.
It went from bad to worse for Samp five minutes from halftime when Barreto was sent off following a second yellow card.
However, it took Udinese until the 66th minute to double its lead with another penalty, this time converted by Lopez, after Lucas Torreira fouled Fofana, who had been on the pitch for less than a minute.
The two goalscorers combined for Udinese’s third, five minutes from time, when De Paul set up Lopez for a delightful chip.
There was another penalty which Fofana won and converted after being nudged in the back by Gian Marco Ferrari.
RULE OF THE EX
Rodrigo Palacio came back to haunt his old club as he fired Bologna past Genoa 1-0.
Palacio, who spent three years at Genoa before moving to Inter Milan in 2012, finished off a counterattack in the 73rd minute.
Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante returned after missing the last match with a dislocated finger and he pulled off some fine saves.
Genoa could have equalized in the final minute but Andrey Galabinov’s header hit the post.
Genoa coach Ivan Juric is at risk of dismissal as his side has just two points from seven rounds.
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