- Head-to-head: Ascoli have failed to win their last away game against Genoa and have a losing head-to-head record against Sunday's opponents.
- Recent form: Genoa have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five games, so their form has been mixed in the short term.
- Ascoli form: Ascoli have won six and lost four of their last ten in all competitions, a more mixed but more exciting record.
Genoa have the Grifone to fly higher
Odds and betting
- Genoa come into the game as heavy 1.38 favourites with the draw coming in at 4.4 and Ascoli at 8.4.
- I am definitely going to stay away from the match result bet as there are better angles to take here and both teams to score – no at 1.75 and under 2.5 goals at 2.0 look like the best bet.
Recent form and tactics
Il Grifone have lost their last two games, but both were tough matches – a 10-1 thrashing away to Bournemouth and a 0-1 defeat at home to Deportivo La Coruna. In all competitions, Genoa have won one, drawn one and lost three of their five home games, scoring just five goals in the process.
Lorenzo Colombo has been their main threat, scoring three of them, and Daniele De Rossi has set the team up to press hard and break with pace down the wing-backs in a 3-5-2 shape.
Ascoli are compact and tough to beat
Ascoli have also lost their last two – 0-1 to Frosinone and 1-2 at home to SS Lazio. In all competitions, Ascoli have two wins and three defeats from five, and have conceded just five on the road, making them a tough nut to crack.
Francesco Tomei has set them up to be compact and disciplined in a 4-2-3-1 system, with structure and counter-attacking their main way to get at the opponents. They have plenty of bite in their game, but are not consistent enough to maintain a level of performance over a long period.
Genoa to edge it
Ascoli's better record is six wins and four defeats from their last ten, so they will have a go, but Genoa will dominate the tempo and try to pin the visitors back.
The hosts should be able to edge a low-scoring game, so a Genoa win to nil seems to suit both the odds and the tactical picture best.
