PIANCASTAGNAIO, Italy (Interstat) — In a stunning opening day upset in Italy’s Serie C, home side US Pianese defied pregame projections to rout a higher-division opponent, defeating Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC 4-2 on Saturday.

The match, played before a raucous crowd at Stadio Comunale, delivered a result contrary to most expert forecasts. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a narrow 1-0 victory for the visiting Ascoli, a club with a storied history dating to 1898. The same analytics system gave Pianese only a 57.3 percent probability to win, a figure the home side rendered irrelevant with a dominant second-half display.

The game began in tense fashion, with the first breakthrough not coming until the 35th minute. Pianese’s Tommaso Milanese opened the scoring, sending the home supporters into an early frenzy. Ascoli responded quickly, however, with Andrea Silipo finding an equalizer just eight minutes later in the 43rd minute, sending the teams into halftime deadlocked at 1-1.

The second half belonged entirely to the hosts. After weathering initial pressure, Pianese seized control. Leonardo Bellini broke the tie in the 81st minute, scoring to give his team a 2-1 lead with under 10 minutes remaining in regulation. Rather than protect the narrow advantage, Pianese pressed forward and put the game decisively out of reach in the final moments of normal time. Andrea Sodero scored in the 90th minute, extending the lead to 3-1 and effectively sealing the three points.

Ascoli managed a late consolation goal in second-half stoppage time, but Pianese immediately answered with a fourth goal to restore the two-goal margin and cap the victory. The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive 4-2 win for the underdogs.

The result immediately reshapes the early narrative in the Serie C group. US Pianese begins its campaign with a perfect record of one win and zero losses, earning a crucial three points against a favored opponent. For Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC, the loss marks a disappointing start to the season, leaving them with a record of zero wins and one loss in league play. The records across all competitions for both clubs mirror their Serie C standing after this single fixture.

The victory provides a significant boost for Pianese, demonstrating their capability to compete aggressively and finish clinically against established competition. For Ascoli, the defeat raises immediate questions after a performance where their defense conceded four times despite being favored to keep a clean sheet. The teams will look to build on or rectify this result as the Serie C season continues.