- Ascoli have won four and lost one of their last five home matches, scoring 11 times.
- Potenza Calcio are unbeaten in their last five matches, winning three and drawing two.
- Ascoli have won two and lost three of their last five games in all competitions, while Potenza Calcio have won five, drawn three and lost two of their last ten matches.
Carrera’s Ascoli are an exciting team
Massimo Carrera has been in charge of Ascoli since 12 March 2024, so he has had plenty of time to get his ideas across to his squad. They play a high defensive line, and press the ball aggressively in order to recover it high up the pitch, as opposed to waiting for it to come to them at the back. They are built to have the ball and push forward, with their 4-2-3-1 system designed to dominate territory and counter-press when out of possession. We're expecting them to press Potenza here and we'll see if Ivan Tisci's more pragmatic Potenza can match up.
Potenza are more set up to remain compact and look to break forward at speed, particularly on the counter attack. They've been tough to break down in this sense, with their shape often flexing between a 4-3-3 system and others which allow them to remain more compact. It'll be interesting to see how they shape up here as there's potential for a classic tactic-vs-tactics matchup. Ascoli are a much more exciting proposition, they will want to control the game, pin Potenza back and get on the front foot, and that's what we're likely to see in this Cup match.
An interesting clash in prospect
Ascoli have lost their last two consecutive games, so they will need to snap back to attention to avoid going into this cup game on the back of a wobble. It's been a streaky season for the hosts, with their form over the last ten games reading: six wins and four defeats, so not a bad run, but it's not very consistent either.
Potenza are on a much better streak, with their latest three results reading: D, W, W. They drew 2-2 at home with SS Monopoli 1966 before two solid wins against Citta DI Campobasso (home and away). Potenza have won their last two games in a row, so they'll arrive with a swagger, and they're always dangerous when they can break forward.
Ascoli are the clear 63/100 favourites, with Potenza listed at 4/1, so the market is leaning towards a home win, as it should. However, it's difficult to make a case for a comfortable home victory given Potenza's recent form. Under 2.5 goals at 87/100 and BTTS-No at 77/100 are the main selections in this match, but the draw at 13/5 is not to be ignored, as we feel that the underdog have a chance here.
