Atalanta 0-1 Sampdoria

Sampdoria maintained their perfect start to the season as Luigi Del Neri enjoyed a winning return to his former club Atalanta.

Daniele Mannini scored the only goal as Sampdoria made it three wins from three despite playing for most of the second half with 10 men following the dismissal of former Atalanta midfielder Fernando Tissone for a second yellow card.

Tissone was given his marching orders after 52 minutes and it was not until 11 minutes later that Mannini claimed the only goal of the game.

The home side started brightly as Simone Padoin tried his luck in the first minute but his shot from the edge of the area was collected comfortably by Sampdoria goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi.

Atalanta midfielder Cristiano Doni was left claiming in vain for handball when his shot struck a Sampdoria player in the area but the referee ignored his pleas and waved play on.

Doni was the architect of a chance for Fabio Ceravolo who hit his volley just wide as Atalanta pressed for the opening goal.

The visitors finally produced their first opening after 23 minutes when Antonio Cassano set up Mannini but home goalkeeper Andrea Consigli was alert to the danger and collected the ball at the feet of the Sampdoria midfielder.

Cassano had his own chance to break the deadlock on the half hour when he fired just wide of the post with a free-kick which had been awarded to the visitors following a handball by Tiberio Guarente.

Atalanta continued to press up to half-time but the final chance of the first period failed to produce a reward as a corner by Fabio Caserta was headed over the bar by Robert Acquafresca.

Tissone nearly broke the deadlock with a chance after 48 minutes when his powerful shot was headed for the corner of the Atalanta goal until home goalkeeper Consigli dived to keep out the effort at the expense of a corner.

But four minutes later Tissone was dismissed when he picked up a second yellow card for a foul.

Acquafresca thought he had given Atalanta the lead on the hour only for his effort to be disallowed for offside.

Despite being down to 10 men the visitors took the lead when Mannini did well to convert following a counter-attack.

Cassano started off the move before feeding Mannini who turned to shoot past Consigli.

From that point Atalanta created a number of openings but were denied an equaliser through Sampdoria's defending and the frame of the goal.

Doni went close with a header but Castellazzi did well as he dived to push the ball out for a corner.

With two minutes remaining Atalanta were unlucky when Jaime Valdes' shot from the edge of the area hit the post.

Home coach Angelo Gregucci was sent from the dugout by the referee after being too forceful with his protests about a decision.

Two minutes into injury time Atalanta were once again denied by the post after Simone Tiribocchi's effort had Castellazzi beaten, leaving the home side in the bottom two of the table.