Roma Cruise Past Sampdoria 4-1 in Coppa Italia Round of 16

Roma recorded an emphatic 4-1 win at home against Serie B outfit Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 on Wednesday evening. The victory provides a welcome confidence boost for the Giallorossi and sets up a quarter-final meeting with AC Milan.

Manager Claudio Ranieri rotated his squad following the weekend’s league defeat, making five changes to the starting lineup. Goalkeeper Matthew Ryan made his debut for Roma between the posts.

The hosts took control early on, with Artem Dovbyk opening the scoring in the 9th minute after connecting with an Alexis Saelemaekers cross. The same combination led to Roma’s second goal 10 minutes later, as Dovbyk headed home after Melle Meulensteen had initially deflected the ball onto the crossbar.

Tommaso Baldanzi extended the lead to 3-0 in the 24th minute with an impressive solo effort, dribbling from the halfway line before finishing clinically. Sampdoria pulled one back through Yepes just after the hour mark following a defensive lapse from Roma.

However, substitute Eldor Shomurodov restored the three-goal cushion late on, powering home a header from Angelino’s cross to seal an emphatic 4-1 victory for the capital club.

The result puts Roma through to face AC Milan in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, scheduled for February 5, 2025. It marks a positive step for Ranieri’s side as they look to build momentum in cup competition.