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| Riccardo Meggiorini scored the only goal of the match from a free header |
Chievo earned a surprise victory away to Sampdoria despite Valter Birsa seeing his awful penalty saved.
Both sides were hovering between mid-table and being sucked back into the relegation zone. Carlos Carbonero was the only absentee for the hosts, while Dario Dainelli was suspended for Chievo, joining injured Roberto Inglese and Alessandro Gamberini.
The Flying Donkeys had only ever won this fixture once in Serie A, 2-1 in September 2005, drawing twice and losing the other seven visits.
Nicolas Spolli’s early free header was too weak to surprise Emiliano Viviano, while Chievo had penalty appeals when Viviano flapped away a corner and Spolli appeared to be brought down from behind.
Chievo made their pressure count when Valter Birsa whipped a left-footed cross in from the right, finding Riccardo Meggiorini’s free header from four yards, as he squirmed away from his marker.
The Flying Donkeys were also awarded a penalty when Fernando shoved Simone Pepe, but Birsa’s spot-kick was so weak and easily saved by Viviano.
Moments later Birsa tried to make up for it with a finish from close range, but Viviano flew with cat-like reflexes to palm it away.
Fernando was lucky to avoid punishment for body-checking Bostjan Cesar with an elbow to the throat. Sampdoria hit the woodwork after the restart, as Lorenzo De Silvestri’s header into the ground from a corner bounced back up and on to the bar.
De Silvestri threatened again from a corner, but this time Albano Bizzarri did very well to palm it off the line, while the goalkeeper also rushed off his line to close down Quagliarella after a great first touch and half-volley.
Samp poured forward in the final stages and Chievo lost Simone Pepe to a sprained ankle, but the visitors held on with Bizzarri performing a crucial save on Roberto Soriano in stoppages.
