Genoa vs Ascoli: Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

For the seventh consecutive year, Genoa kick off their season with a Coppa Italia encounter against a Serie B opponent. This time, at the iconic Luigi Ferraris stadium, they welcome Ascoli—a side that has historically proven to be a remarkably comfortable foe for the Grifone. Across 14 prior meetings in various competitions, the visitors have managed to secure a victory just once.

Tactical Analysis: Genoa’s Coppa Italia Consistency vs. Ascoli’s Grit

Genoa’s previous campaign began poorly under Patrick Vieira, but the arrival of Daniele De Rossi in November steadied the ship and pulled the team out of crisis mode. However, the finish to the season was nothing short of dismal—the Rossoblù failed to win a single one of their final five Serie A fixtures. That erratic form spilled over into pre-season. The glaring example? A staggering 1-10 thrashing at the hands of Bournemouth during an unusual 120-minute friendly. In their last warm-up match, Genoa fell 0-1 to Deportivo, a side just promoted back to Spain’s top flight.

Despite the rocky build-up, Genoa have been a model of reliability in the Coppa Italia’s first round, advancing every year since 2014. Even though the competition is often treated as secondary in Liguria, De Rossi is expected to field a near-full-strength eleven for this dress rehearsal ahead of the league opener. The only notable absentee is marquee summer signing Hamed Traoré, who picked up a muscle injury while still with Marseille. Meanwhile, midfielder Djibril Sow and left-back Mario Mitaj—well known to fans of Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow—are fully fit and ready to slot into their usual roles.

Ascoli, meanwhile, have returned to Serie B after a two-year absence. With limited resources at their disposal, holding their own in Italy’s second division will be a tall order for the Bianconeri. Two pre-season friendlies against Frosinone (0-1) and Lazio (1-2) both ended in defeat. In each match, the scoreline flattered Francesco Tamea’s men—their higher-caliber opponents squandered a host of clear chances that could have made the results far more lopsided.

In the Coppa, however, Ascoli got off to a winning start. They dispatched Serie C side Potenza 3-1 in the preliminary round. For Sunday’s round-of-32 tie, Tamea is expected to stick with largely the same lineup, with one key change up front. Striker Gabriele Gori, 27, has recovered quickly from injury and marked his first competitive appearance with a goal off the bench. He looks set to replace the ineffective Mohammed Chakir in the starting XI.

Predicted Lineups

Genoa (3-5-2): Bielo – Otoa, Marcandalli, Vasquez – Norton-Cuffy, Frendrup, Sow, Baldanzi, Mitaj – Vitinha, Colombo Unavailable: Traoré (injury) Head Coach: Daniele De Rossi

Ascoli (4-2-3-1): Vitale – Milanese, Curado, Nicoletti, Qujebré – Acampora, Corradini – Silipo, Perchun, D’Uffizi – Gori Unavailable: Alagna (injury) Head Coach: Francesco Tamea

Referee

The official for this fixture has not yet been assigned. (No referee information was provided in the source material.)

Prediction & Bet

Main Bet: Genoa finished their pre-season with back-to-back losses against Premier League and La Liga sides, but their first official match pits them against a far weaker opponent. Ascoli are clear relegation candidates in Serie B and boast a shaky defense. They are particularly vulnerable from set pieces—opponents regularly create high-quality chances against Samuele Vitale from dead-ball situations. Indeed, Potenza’s only goal against Tamea’s side came from a corner or free kick. On Sunday, Ascoli will face a Genoa team that finished second in Serie A last season for goals scored from corners and free kicks. The smart play is to back Genoa to win with a -1.5 handicap at odds of 2.20.

Total Goals Bet: That said, Genoa are far from watertight at the back. During pre-season, they managed just one clean sheet—against Championship side Leicester City. Ascoli, meanwhile, have found the net in each of their last two matches, including against Lazio. This suggests value in the both teams to score (BTTS) market, available at 2.00.