ROME -- Samuel Eto'o scored his first goal since returning to Italy as Sampdoria beat Cagliari 2-0 in Serie A on Saturday to stay in the hunt for a spot in Europe.
After fullback Lorenzo De Silvestri scored with a header in the 33rd minute, Eto'o doubled the lead with a delightful chest control, spin, and shot from a tight angle near the end.
Cagliari was then reduced to 10 men when Danilo Avelar picked up his second yellow card.
Eto'o joined Sampdoria in January from Everton and had a troubled start with the club, clashing with coach Sinisa Mihajlovic after refusing to take part in a training session a month ago.
All seemed forgiven, it seemed, when Mihajlovic greeted Eto'o with a hug when he exited in the final minutes.
Eto'o, who turns 34 on Monday, scored only four goals in 20 appearances for Everton before his transfer.
During his first spell in Italy, the four-time African footballer of the year helped Inter Milan to a treble of titles in 2010.
Samp moved into sixth place, one off the Europa League spots, while Gianfranco Zola's Cagliari squad remained in the relegation zone, having gained only one point in its last six matches.
