While Genoa are Italy’s oldest side, the Derby della Lanterna versus Sampdoria is a relatively young contest given that the Blucerchiati were only formed in 1946.
At present, Samp have won 38 matches, the Rossoblu 28 with 44 draws.
With the fixture set to kick Serie A back off on January 5 after the winter break, here are some pieces of trivia surrounding the fixture.
The first derby
On account of Samp’s fluid identity, the derby is both one of Italy’s oldest and youngest. The first match between Sampdoria and Genoa was held in November 1946 with 45,000 fans and the President of the Republic Enrico De Nicola in attendance. The upstarts Sampdoria won 3-0 as Giuseppe Baldini scored the first goal with a long-range thunderbolt that was so good that Genoa’s Juan Carlos Verdeal went to shake his hand after it crossed the line.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com