Ascoli Turn the Tables on Verona in Serie B Opener
Ascoli came from behind to beat Verona 2:1 in the opening round of Serie B's Regular Season. The visitors took the lead after the break, scoring twice in quick succession to overturn S. Mulattieri's early strike. It was a result that shifted the momentum completely, leaving the home side to ponder what might have been.
Mulattieri gave Verona the advantage in the twenty-first minute, a moment that seemed to settle the crowd. The hosts dominated possession and created more chances, but Ascoli's defence held firm until the interval. To be fair, the visitors showed discipline in defence, absorbing pressure while waiting for their opportunity.
And here's the thing — the match turned on the second half. Silipo equalised in the fifty-third minute, and D'Uffizi put Ascoli ahead just three minutes later. By then, Verona had to chase the game, and the visitors sensed blood. The home side made three changes around the seventy-fourth minute, but it was too little, too late.
The statistics tell a story Verona would rather forget. They registered seven shots on target and created four big chances, yet managed only one goal. Ascoli, with three shots on target and two big chances, took their moments ruthlessly. Verona had 98 attacks compared to 78, but the difference came in conversion.
Vertually every substitution in the seventy-fourth minute was defensive, as Verona tried to shore up a crumbling position. Oyegoke and Harroui came on for the hosts, while Ascoli introduced Damiani, Perciun and D'Uffizi to protect their lead. The final whistle brought relief for the visitors, who now sit fourth on four points after two games.
Verona remain in sixteenth place with a single point from two matches, their unbeaten run from pre-season friendlies now well and truly ended. Ascoli's victory extends their positive start, while the home side has work to do before they cannot afford another slip.
