PADOVA, Italy (Interstat) — Padova and visiting Sampdoria opened their Serie B campaigns with a 1-1 draw Saturday at Stadio Comunale Euganeo.

The result defied pre-match projections that heavily favored the home side. Sampdoria’s Massimo Coda opened the scoring in the 19th minute, finishing a pass from Liam Henderson. Padova equalized in the 65th minute when Pietro Fusi converted an assist from Francesco Conti. Fusi also assisted on Coda’s earlier goal.

The match was a physical affair, producing four yellow cards. The draw leaves both clubs with identical records across all competitions to start the season.