A Giuseppe Mascara penalty and an early second-half strike from Jorge Andres Martinez were just reward for Catania as they eased their relegation fears with a home win over Sampdoria.
However, the home side did not dominate the Serie A clash as Sampdoria went close to hitting back on several occasions.
Antonio Cassano could have added his name to the score sheet on more than one occasion but his failure in front of goal summed up a disappointing day for the visitors.