Predictions Coppa Italia - Lecce vs Mantova

Coppa Italia - Lecce vs Mantova
Match Time: 12-08-2024 23:30 Monday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Though they ended the 2023-24 campaign without a win in five games, Lecce did just enough to retain their top-flight status once again, finishing 14th in the final Serie A standings.

Results improved after Roberto D'Aversa was dismissed following his post-match headbutt on Hellas Verona's Thomas Henry, and the steady hand of former Spezia boss Luca Gotti ultimately steered the Salentini to safety.

Gotti remains in charge for the upcoming campaign, which starts with Monday's cup tie and an opening league game against Europa League winners Atalanta BC one week later.

After starting pre-season with a promising 3-0 win over Werder Bremen, the Giallorossi came away empty-handed from games against Galatasaray, Huddersfield Town and then Nice, the latter of whom won 3-2 at Via del Mare last week.

In last season's Coppa Italia, Lecce lost in the second round to Parma - who were subsequently promoted as Serie B champions - and they have never before lifted Italy's national cup.

Neither have modest Mantova, though they did come relatively close just over 60 years ago, beating mighty Juventus in a third-place playoff in the 1961-62 edition.

More recently, the Lombardy club have been on the road back from bankruptcy in 2017, and they are now looking forward to life in Calcio's second tier, having won promotion to Serie B last season.

Finishing as top scorers in their regional division saw the Biancorossi come out on top, gaining great acclaim for head coach Davide Possanzini.

Previously a member of Roberto De Zerbi's coaching staff at Foggia, Palermo, Benevento, Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk, the 48-year-old has modelled his Mantova team in the style of his mentor - so far, to great success.

Beating Torres 2-1 in the Coppa Italia's preliminary round got the new season off to a winning start last weekend, and now the prize for upsetting Lecce would be a second-round tie with Possanzini's old club Sassuolo.

Prediction: Lecce 3-2 Mantova