Serie A: Dries Mertens, Diego Demme score late goals as in-form Napoli beat Sampdoria to move into 10th place

Genoa: Napoli let slip a two-goal lead but bounced back to win at Sampdoria 4-2 in Serie A on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_7999101” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Dries Mertens celebrates with Napoli teammates after scoring against Sampdoria. AP[/caption] It was Napoli’s third league win since Gennaro Gattuso took over on 11 December and moved the club up to 10th. Sampdoria remained 16th, four points above the relegation zone. Napoli came into the match with momentum after a week which saw them beat Serie A leaders Juventus in the league and reach the Italian Cup semi-finals. And they were 2-0 up within 16 minutes following goals from Arkadiusz Milik and Eljif Elmas. The 20-year-old Elmas burst into tears after scoring his first goal for the club. However, former Napoli forward Fabio Quagliarella reduced the deficit in the 26th minute with a spectacular volley. Both sides had goals ruled out before another former Napoli player, Manolo Gabbiadini, levelled with a penalty in the 73rd after visiting defender Kostas Manolas fouled Quagliariella. New signing Diego Demme restored Napoli’s lead seven minutes from time and fellow substitute Dries Mertens sealed the result in stoppage time.