MILAN (AP) — Bottom club Sampdoria was relegated from Serie A following a 2-0 loss at Udinese on Monday.
Two first-half goals condemned Sampdoria, which was left 13 points from safety with four rounds remaining.
Spezia and Cremonese are the other teams in the relegation zone and they are three and six points, respectively, behind 17th-placed Hellas Verona.
Sampdoria has won just two matches since the start of the year and travelled to Udine on the back of two straight losses without scoring.
Udinese took the lead in the ninth minute. Festy Ebosele ran almost the entire length of the field before sending the ball through to Roberto Pereyra, who lifted it above onrushing goalkeeper Nicola Ravaglia.
Adam Masina doubled Udinese’s lead in the 34th when he headed a chipped pass from Sandi Lovrić into the bottom left corner.
Samp almost got back into the match 12 minutes into the second half but Manolo Gabbiadini’s effort came off the right post.
RELEGATION BATTLE
Empoli all but assured itself of safety when it won against fellow struggler Salernitana 2-1, ending the latter's 10-match unbeaten run.
Both sides came into the match eight points above the drop zone.
Nicolò Cambiaghi headed Empoli in front shortly before halftime and Francesco Caputo doubled the home side’s advantage in the 63rd.
Krzysztof Piątek pulled one back five minutes from time but it wasn’t enough for Salernitana.
SPECIAL CELEBRATION
Nicolás Domínguez had a special celebration after netting the equalizer for Bologna in a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo.
Domínguez held up the shirt of teammate Adama Soumaoro, whose season ended in a serious knee injury last week.
Domenico Berardi scored the opener in the mid-table clash.
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