Torino and Sampdoria meet in Serie A at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Wednesday, with both teams looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats on the weekend.
Dejan Stankovic's struggling side were beaten convincingly by Fiorentina in front of their own fans, whereas a shock Bologna comeback denied Torino from taking any points despite their efforts on Sunday.
Match preview
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After back-to-back victories against Udinese and AC Milan at the end of October, Torino were cruising towards a third consecutive win at Bologna in their last fixture when Sasa Lukic converted a first-half penalty, but second-half goals from Riccardo Orsolini and Stefan Posch for the hosts meant Ivan Juric's men left Stadio Renato Dall'Ara empty-handed.
That defeat means Torino were unable to move above an in-form Salernitana in the Serie A standings, and lie 10th in the table having collected 17 points from their opening 13 matches.
Just inside the top half of the division is the exact position the Turin-based club finished last campaign in, with the aim now to push towards the host of big Italian clubs fighting for six coveted European places.
Trying to break into that top six or seven in the league looks like a big ask however, as even though Torino have won two of their last three league matches, they are still eight points off sixth-placed Roma as the World Cup break approaches.
Manager Juric will be keen on his side improving their home record starting on Wednesday, with his side only managing eight points and four goals in their six matches in front of their home faithful so far this season.
A slight distraction has been provided for the hosts in the build up to this game with reports that 47-year-old Juric is being considered for the Nottingham Forest managerial job if Steve Cooper were to be fired over the international break, rumours the Torino boss has swiftly denied in the past few days.
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Following four seasons of alternating between ninth and 15th-place finishes in Serie A, Sampdoria look set for a full-scale relegation battle to maintain a top-flight status they have held since the 2012-13 season.
Stankovic's men sit 19th in the league, having amassed just six points in their opening 13 fixtures and scoring a mere six times during that period, the fewest number of goals in the division by a considerable distance.
An Omar Colley strike earned Sampdoria their only victory of the season so far against recently-promoted Cremonese at the end of last month, but two defeats on the spin to Inter Milan and Fiorentina without scoring have reaffirmed worries that the club's spell in the top flight of Italian football could be approaching a painful end.
Sampdoria are not your typical whipping boys - they have averaged more than 50% possession this season and have an array of talent within their ranks - but an inability to create and convert goalscoring chances is massively hindering their efforts to secure three points in games, as is reflected in the league standings after 13 matches.
Following a midweek trip to Turin is a home clash with relegation rivals Lecce, and if Stankovic's side are unable to collect any points from those pair of fixtures it is set to be a long and miserable World Cup break for the players and supporters alike.
Team News
Torino striker Pietro Pellegri was forced off after just four minutes against Bologna at the weekend and is set to be out until after the World Cup break with an ankle injury.
French winger Yann Karamoh came on to replace the injured Italian and should be in line for his first start for Torino since making the summer switch from Serie B side Parma Calcio.
Juric will also be without ex-Fulham full-back Ola Aina due to a tendon injury and forward Antonio Sanabria with a calf strain.
Sampdoria defender Bruno Amione suffered a knock to the head in the first half against Fiorentina on Sunday and was brought off as a precaution, with the 20-year-old unlikely to feature in Turin on Wednesday night as he follows concussion protocol.
Colombian Jeison Murillo is the prime candidate to deputise in Amione's absence and is expected to make his sixth league start since returning from a loan spell last season with Celta Vigo in Spain.
Premier League fans will be familiar with midfielder Harry Winks who was loaned out to Sampdoria this season from Tottenham Hotspur, but the 10-time England international is yet to feature in Italy due to a long-term ankle injury and is now considering surgery to help solve the recurring issue.
Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Djidji, Schuurs, Buongiorno; Singo, Lukic, Ricci, Lazaro; Miranchuk, Vlasic, Karamoh
Sampdoria possible starting lineup:
Audero; Bereszynski, Ferrari, Colley, Murillo; Leris, Villar, Djuricic, Augello, Montevago, Caputo
We say: Torino 2-0 Sampdoria
Torino are marooned in mid-table and need a string of positive results to bridge the gap between themselves and the European places, with the visit of Sampdoria a great fixture to start such a run.
Genova-based Sampdoria desperately need to pick up some points in their final two games before the World Cup, but a trip to Turin on Wednesday night is not a likely destination for success.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Carter White
