Antonio Mirante was delighted for Sampdoria teammate Antonio Cassano after he broke his scoring duck in yesterday's 3-0 defeat of Atalanta.

"I congratulate Cassano," said Mirante, "he is now showing the form on the field that we see in training every day.

"He has the quality to make the difference in games."

Samp sports chief Beppe Marotta added: "He's still not in best shape, but you can see his technical and tactical qualities. The goal is proof of that."