Giampaolo Pazzini says it feels good to have Sampdoria top of the table.

"It's beautiful to be up there alone, and it's not by chance. We are up there for the city, for the club, for how we work every day," Pazzini said.

"The Scudetto is almost impossible. There are more equipped teams than us, but for now we are enjoying first place."

Asked to reveal Sampdoria's secret, Pazzini replied: "We have important qualities. We started very strongly very quickly, without ever being content with ourselves and we have to continue like that.

"We have qualities that allow us to do good things. Personally I am taking revenge, but this also happened very quickly, pretty much as soon as I joined Samp."