Debrecen see off youthful Sampdoria

Debreceni VSC overcame an experimental UC Sampdoria side in a game which had no bearing on the final standings in UEFA Europa League Group I.

With both teams already eliminated, there was little to play for other than pride. Sampdoria took the opportunity to induce a number of youngsters, while Debrecen attempted to gain their first points of the competition. A Péter Kabát strike and a second-half own goal ensured they did just that.

Neither side threatened to break the deadlock early on, before Péter Czvitkovics provided the game with its first meaningful effort. The Debrecen midfielder found himself in space, before seeing his bullet of a shot parried by Sampdoria goalkeeper Angelo Da Costa.

As an uneventful half reached its conclusion, Nenad Krstičić split the hosts' defence feeding Vladimir Koman, who in electing to take it first time fired straight at a grateful István Verpe.

The Hungarian side started the second half in good spirits and were immediately rewarded when Yannick Mbengono's cross deflected favourably to Kabát, who poked the ball past Da Costa.

The hosts then started to dominate, enjoying extended spells of possession, while restricting Sampdoria to speculative efforts. Zsolt Laczkó's well-struck free-kick again tested Da Costa, who was equal to it, expertly diverting the ball away from danger.

The Italian side's misery was complete five minutes from time when Csaba Bernáth's low cross ricocheted in off Sampdoria's Massimo Volta.