- Team form: Sampdoria have split the last 4 competitive meetings with Cesena FC evenly (won 1, drawn 2, lost 1)
- Recent trend: Three of the four games since 2024 have gone over 2.5 goals
- Squad note: Sampdoria are the deeper team
Cesena are clear favorites with Sampdoria at 2.75
Odds:
Cesena FC are favorites at 2.48 to beat Sampdoria in the Serie B 2026-2027 opener at Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi on Sunday, and it should be a good game if the recent history between the clubs is anything to go by.
Head-to-head:
I Cavallucci Marini have split their last four competitive meetings with I Blucerchiati evenly (won 1, drawn 2, lost 1) since 2024, with the most recent fixture ending 0-0 in Cesena back in April 2026. There is no reason to believe that this fixture, which has produced three over 2.5 games in those four meetings, will tighten up again on Sunday.
Friendlies:
Cesena won both of their exhibition games ahead of this matchup – seeing off Vis Pesaro 3-0 and Carpi 1-0 – to get the message across that Alessandro Diamanti's style of play is more in keeping with the young players he now has at his disposal.
Sampdoria are a more possession-oriented side
Cesena setup:
Diamanti's 3-5-2 set up, which features wing-backs on the flanks and two strikers up top, will be compact and versatile enough to transition quickly from defence to attack.
Sampdoria setup:
Sampdoria are a more modern set up and should be more involved in possession and pressing, with Bernardo Corradi's team having a much more flexible look to it.
Players to watch:
- Andrea Ciofi is the leader at the back and will be a threat on set plays, while Cristian Shpendi will bring the spark up front that allows Marco Olivieri and Giacomo Vrioni to offer Diamanti options to change the game late on.
- Tjaš Begić's ability to take the ball at pace will be a big plus for Sampdoria on the break, while Oliver Abildgaard and Matteo Ricci will keep the balance in midfield and pressing.
Sampdoria are a level above Cesena in terms of squad depth
I Blucerchiati finished their 2025-26 Serie B season with a 1-0 home win over Südtirol and a 1-0 away loss at Reggiana, which was a pretty solid but unspectacular finish to the campaign. They lost a 2-1 friendly to Novara and followed it up with a 0-0 draw with Cagliari before a 1-0 defeat at Reggiana.
In contrast, Cesena finished 2025-26 with a 4-3 loss at Padova and back-to-back draws, but the results in that pair of games suggest they still have work to do to make the back line a unit.
Sampdoria are a little ahead of Cesena in team terms and should be able to come through with a win on the road here, but the odds are against that and a home victory or draw looks good value. An alternative approach is to take Under 2.5 goals at 1.8, although both teams to score at 1.73 looks better to us because we think this game will be close and both teams will have enough to get through the opponent's defensive line.
