Spectacular backheeled volley helps Sampdoria inflict first Napoli loss

Fabio Quagliarella’s airborne backheel volley against Napoli is already in the running for Serie A goal of the season. The former Italy striker athletically flicked the ball into the far corner to complete Sampdoria’s 3-0 win over visiting Napoli yesterday.

In the Genoa club’s first home match since 43 people were killed in the Morandi Bridge collapse in the port city last month, Quagliarella’s goal prompted celebrations inside the Luigi Ferraris stadium.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli, meanwhile, will need to figure out a better approach after falling behind early for the third consecutive match — even though they came back to win their first two.

Gregoire Defrel scored twice for Sampdoria in the first half, with Quagliarella involved in both goals.

A minute’s silence was observed before kickoff to honour the victims of the August 14 bridge collapse, which occurred during a fierce storm.

Napoli dropped three points behind perfect Juventus.

Marco Benassi scored his third goal in two matches as Fiorentina beat Udinese 1-0 to remain perfect through two matches.

Spain

Newly-promoted Huesca enjoyed short-lived celebrations yesterday after stunning Barcelona with a goal just three minutes into their game.

But Lionel Messi provided a harsh reality check with two goals as the defending champions went on to demolish Huesca 8-2 at Camp Nou.

Messi cancelled out Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernandez’s opener with an exquisite solo effort. Facing four defenders honed in on him at the edge of the area, the Argentine lured them towards the centre of the field before a sudden change of foot and acceleration left one man on the turf and the rest out of position. Messi then fired a right-footed shot in off the far post for the 16th-minute equaliser.

Jordi Alba provoked an own goal from Jorge Pulido and set up Luis Suarez to make it 3-1 with the first of two goals for the Uruguay striker.

It was 3-2 at halftime before it went lopsided in the second spell.

Messi’s brace left him level with Karim Benzema as the league’s top scorers this season with four goals each. Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only two teams to have won their three opening league games.

Veteran Joaquin Sanchez went on as a late substitute and headed Real Betis to their first home win over crosstown rival Sevilla since 2006. The 37-year-old Sanchez scored in the 80th minute to secure the 1-0 victory at Benito Villamarin Stadium.

Germany

Schalke’s poor start to the new Bundesliga season continued yesterday with a 2-0 home defeat against Hertha Berlin. Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein produced a brilliant save in injury time to deny Mark Uth an equaliser and help preserve his team’s second win from two games.

Schalke, which finished second last season, now have two defeats from two after losing their opening game to Wolfsburg. They had players sent off in both games, with Yevhen Konoplyanka dismissed in injury time after Jarstein’s save for hauling down Hertha substitute Dennis Jastrzembski as the last man.

Ondrej Duda, who got Hertha’s opening goal in the first half, sealed the win from the resulting free kick.