Massimo Donati remains optimistic Sampdoria are on the right track, despite losing their Serie B opener at Marassi against Modena.

Simone Santoro and Luca Zanimacchia scored in the final 15 minutes to hand former Blucerchiati manager Andrea Sottil a win in his first league game in charge, while the hosts were booed off the pitch.

Donati, however, insists there were positives to take north to Bolzano for the game against Sudtirol on Sunday.

“We played very well for an hour,” he said. “We deserved the lead, but weren’t clinical enough. We had a momentary lapse on their goal, but that doesn’t take away from the good performance. If anything, it confirms that we’re on the right track and we must not let our heads drop.

“Our attack just needs that final touch, but you can’t expect perfection overnight. The important thing is that we’re moving in the right direction.”

It was an admirable show of faith from Donati, who has been tasked with picking up the pieces following last season’s historically dismal showing and has already showed a degree of tactical flexibility, switching from his preferred 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1 on Monday night.

Initially relegated to Serie C for the first time in their 79-year history, Sampdoria pulled off one of Serie B’s great escapes as they beat Salernitana in a relegation play-off after being handed an unexpected lifeline courtesy of Brescia’s points deduction.

But while expectations have been tempered, Donati, who has replaced Alberico Evani in charge, can seldom afford a slow start. Andrea Pirlo was jettisoned after three games last season and whatever lingering optimism was left ahead of the season opener has all but evaporated following the defeat by Modena.

And yet, Pirlo’s hasty dismissal is also a timely reminder of the dangers of reaching for the panic button in August.

Sampdoria have moved steadily in the market this summer, aiming to trim a bloated squad that never looked to be the sum of its parts under Pirlo, Sottil, Leonardo Semplici and Evani last term.

Fabio Borini and M’Baye Niang have been released and Gennaro Tutino has joined Avellino on loan, while Giuseppe Sibilli and Remi Oudin returned to Bari and Lecce respectively after their loan spells ended and Melle Meulensteen returned to the Eredivisie.

Liam Henderson joined on a free transfer from Empoli, while the Como trio of Alessandro Bellemo, Nikolas Ioannou and Simone Ghidotti have all signed permanently for a combined £3.7m after joining on loan last season.

More arrivals and departures can be expected before the transfer window shuts on Monday, but for the time being Donati must work with the players at his disposal as Sampdoria look to get points on the board against Sudtirol, who began their campaign with a 1-1 draw away against Catanzaro.

Raphael Kofler put the visitors ahead with a well-directed header 13 minutes into the game, before Pietro Iemmello opened his account for the season with a trademark finish to restore parity on the hour.

While Catanzaro enjoyed 74% of possession, they created little of note and the visitors had the better chances but failed to take them, much to Fabrizio Castori’s chagrin.

“We pressed very high and barely let them get near our box,” the Sudtirol manager said. “But then they have a phenomenon like Iemmello, who scores incredible goals just like the one we saw. If it weren’t for him, we would have won, and I think we would have deserved it.

“I’m disappointed, because we earned the victory after creating so many chances and missing just as many.”

Sudtirol have picked up 34 points in 23 fixtures since Castori replaced Marco Zaffaroni in December last year, but the 72-year-old is all too aware his side need to develop a clinical edge if they are to secure Serie B status for another season.

It is a feeling Sampdoria are all too familiar with.

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