Numbers, as the old adage goes, may not tell the whole tale, but in Sampdoria’s case they reveal more than enough. Promotion candidates back in August, they find themselves staring down the barrel of relegation to Serie C heading into the last week of January.

Winless in the past 13 matches, the Blucerchiati are only three points clear of bottom-of-the-table Cosenza and only ahead of third-last Frosinone on goal difference.

The Genoese club have already churned through two managers in six months, with Andrea Pirlo sacked in August and Andrea Sottil following him out of the door in mid-December, when Leonardo Semplici was handed the reins.

Under Semplici, Sampdoria have picked up creditable draws against third-placed Spezia and fourth-placed Cremonese but have remained worryingly brittle defensively, a concern highlighted by the third-worst defensive record in the division.

Samp’s dismal defensive record is only exacerbated by a chronic inability to see games out.

Following last Friday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Cesena, the Blucerchiati have now lost an astonishing 18 points from winning positions this season.

“We’re in a tough spot, there’s no doubt about it,” Samp president Matteo Manfredi told the press last week. “We’re facing a lot of challenges. But we’ll keep fighting and believing in this team.

“The players gave everything they had tonight. Our situation is challenging, but it’s times like these when we need to stick together.”

Sampdoria’s situation has been made harder by a series of injuries to key players, the latest of which has sidelined Gennaro Tutino with a broken ankle.

A summer signing from Cosenza, the 28-year-old is the team’s second-most prolific goalscorer with five goals in Serie B this season but is expected to be out for the remainder of the campaign.

Like Tutino, long-term absentees Simone Romagnoli, Bartosz Bereszyński and Nikolas Ioannou will also miss Saturday’s trip to Mantova, a fixture which Sampdoria simply cannot afford to lose.

The Blucerchiati‘s last win came against the Virgilians back in October in controversial circumstances as Leonardo Mancuso’s injury-time equaliser was ruled out, but the Danilo Martelli has proved hostile ground for them, with just two wins and four defeats in six visits.

If Sampdoria are looking nervously over their shoulder, Mantova’s eyes are firmly fixed on a promotion tilt, with the final play-off spot currently just two points ahead of the Biancorossi, who have lost just twice in their last nine games.

“We’re on a positive run and we need to build on that,” said Davide Possanzini. “There’s always room for improvement, and we’ll be looking to address those areas. We’ll go into the match with a clear head and a balanced approach.”

It is a remarkable run for a team that was expected to be fighting to avoid relegation in their first season back in Italian football’s second tier for the first time in 15 years.

The 2-1 win away at Cittadella last weekend was Mantova’s first since December 21 and Possanzini warned of the risk of getting carried away, urging his players to focus on the task ahead instead.

“We understand the passion and excitement surrounding our team,” the 47-year-old, who scored seven goals in 57 appearances in all competitions for Sampdoria, said. “It’s great to see, but it’s important to remain grounded. We need to keep our feet on the ground.”