SAMPDORIA revelled in the rain to power past Viceroy Cup champions Sing Tao 6-3 in the second leg of their Asian tour at Hong Kong Stadium last night. The Italian team stormed back from a 3-1 defeat by the Chinese national squad on Thursday night in a backlash which kept the 16,876 spectators entertained. The Serie A giants went on a goal-scoring spree with two goals in the first half and another four after the interval. Spectators were also treated to the individual flair of Dutch star Ruud Gullit, who played his penultimate match for the Italian club before his summer move to English Premier League club Chelsea. Gullit, in the uncustomary role of a striker, played only the first half.
The Dutchman created half a dozen chances in the opening 20 minutes as Sampdoria prised Sing Tao's defence open with some brilliant attacking soccer. It didn't take long before Sampdoria had the ball in the back of the net. Riccardo Maspero read Roberto Mancini's through ball with precision and slipped into the Sing Tao box before crashing a low shot with his left foot. Undeterred, Sing Tao struck back with left winger Chan Tsz-kong getting the first of his two goals. Chan picked up right winger Lau Chi-yuen's long header and managed to dribble past defender Riccardo Ferri before slipping the ball past 'keeper Walter Zenga for the 19th-minute equaliser. But Sampdoria hit back three minutes later.
It was Gullit's cross from the right which found Mancini inside the box and the Sampdoria captain volleyed home from close range.
Sing Tao levelled things in the 38th minute through Chan.
Gullit's replacement, Attilio Lombardo, pounced on a rebound 14 minutes into the second stanza to restore the visitors' lead.
Lombardo then created his team's fourth in the 65th minute as his long cross found Claudio Bellucci who rose high to head home.