Cesena and Sampdoria draw 1-1 in Serie B season opener

Cesena and Sampdoria played to a 1-1 draw in their Serie B season opener. Cesena took an early lead in the 17th minute through Cristian Shpendi, following a setup by Druiventak and Guidi. Despite Cesena hitting the woodwork twice—once via Fiori and once through Shpendi—the momentum shifted in the 50th minute when David received a second yellow card, leaving Cesena with ten men.

With a numerical advantage, Sampdoria pressured the Cesena defense. The equalizer arrived late in the match when Gartenmann converted a cross to secure the draw. Following the match, Cesena manager Alessandro Diamanti expressed pride in his team’s defensive effort despite the controversial dismissal and missed opportunities.

In the aftermath, Sampdoria returned to Bogliasco for training. Manager Bernardo Corradi has implemented a recovery program, with five players, including Fabio Depaoli, Oliver Abildgaard, Karim Diop, Tobias Lauritsen, and Luca Ravanelli, undergoing differentiated training sessions to manage fatigue and injuries ahead of their next fixture against Juve Stabia.