Match report
Palermo thrash Mantova 5-2 in Coppa Italia thriller
Palermo advanced to the next round of the Coppa Italia with a 5-2 victory over Mantova at the Stadio Renzo Barbera, a match that swung dramatically after a comfortable first half turned into a nervy second period. Gabriel Strefezza opened the scoring in the ninth minute, assisted by Claudio Gomes, before Antonio Palumbo converted a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time to send Palermo in 2-0 up at the break.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Mantova responded swiftly after the restart. Francesco Ruocco pulled one back in the 52nd minute, and three minutes later Rachid Kouda, set up by Rareş Ilie, levelled the contest at 2-2, threatening a remarkable turnaround for the visitors.
Palermo regained control in the closing stages. Joel Pohjanpalo restored the hosts' lead in the 70th minute, finishing a Dennis Johnsen assist, before Johnsen himself scored in the 89th minute, teed up by Jacopo Segre, to make it 4-2. Pohjanpalo completed his brace deep into added time, converting a Dominic Vavassori assist to seal a 5-2 win despite Mantova holding the majority of possession.
Pohjanpalo scored twice, including a stoppage-time finish, to finish as the top-rated performer with an 8.65 rating.
Mantova had 57% of the possession yet still shipped five goals, underlining how open and end-to-end the contest became after half-time.
Palermo beat Mantova 5–2 (half-time 2–0).
Palermo met Mantova in the Coppa Italia (Round of 32). Kick-off was Thursday, 3 September 2026, 16:00 UTC at Stadio Renzo Barbera. Referee: Davide Di Marco.
Team pages: Palermo · Mantova · Coppa Italia
Key moments
- 9' Goal: Gabriel Strefezza (assist: Claudio Gomes) — 1–0 · Watch Gabriel Strefezza's goal video (9')
- 45' Goal (penalty): Antonio Palumbo — 2–0 · Watch Antonio Palumbo's goal video (45')
- 52' Goal: Francesco Ruocco — 2–1 · Watch Francesco Ruocco's goal video (52')
- 55' Goal: Rachid Kouda (assist: Rareş Ilie) — 2–2 · Watch Rachid Kouda's goal video (55')
- 70' Goal: Joel Pohjanpalo (assist: Dennis Johnsen) — 3–2 · Watch Joel Pohjanpalo's goal video (70')
- 89' Goal: Dennis Johnsen (assist: Jacopo Segre) — 4–2 · Watch Dennis Johnsen's goal video (89')
- 90' Goal: Joel Pohjanpalo (assist: Dominic Vavassori) — 5–2 · Watch Joel Pohjanpalo's goal video (90')
Starting line-ups
Palermo (4-1-4-1)
Mantova (3-4-2-1)
Pre-match read
Over 1.5 Goals. League base rate: 77% over 1.5 goals On the other hand: Class gap (130 Elo points, visitors stronger) — Matches with this rating gap ran −2.0pp vs their league norm at this line across 8,521 measu
Under 3.5 Goals. League base rate: 37% over 3.5 goals On the other hand: Team over/under identity — Mantova have gone over 3.5 in 29% of their last 38 matches and Palermo in 24% of their last 38, against a league
Over 2.5 Goals. League base rate: 58% over 2.5 goals On the other hand: Team over/under identity — Mantova have gone over 2.5 in 55% of their last 38 matches and Palermo in 47% of their last 38, against a league
Both Teams to Score. League base rate: 55% both teams score
Mantova to Score. League base rate: 86% home sides score On the other hand: Class edge (the hosts rated 130 Elo points below their opponents) — Sides with this class edge scored −3.8pp vs their league norm across 8,5
Mantova winning 70% at home (last 10) Home on 3 days rest; Away on 3 Home scored in 80% of recent home matches
Model-generated pre-match read. Not betting advice.
About this match
On this page: the Palermo vs Mantova final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this Coppa Italia fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
- Watch Gabriel Strefezza's goal against Mantova (9').
- Watch Antonio Palumbo's goal against Mantova (45').
- Watch Francesco Ruocco's goal against Palermo (52').
- Watch Rachid Kouda's goal against Palermo (55').
- Watch Joel Pohjanpalo's goal against Mantova (70').
- Watch Dennis Johnsen's goal against Mantova (89').
- Watch Joel Pohjanpalo's goal against Mantova (90').
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Palermo 5–2 Mantova. Explore more on the Palermo and Mantova team pages or the Coppa Italia page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Palermo vs Mantova?
Palermo beat Mantova 5–2 (half-time 2–0).
›Who scored in Palermo vs Mantova?
Gabriel Strefezza (9') for Palermo; Antonio Palumbo (45') (penalty) for Palermo; Francesco Ruocco (52') for Mantova; Rachid Kouda (55') for Mantova; Joel Pohjanpalo (70') for Palermo; Dennis Johnsen (89') for Palermo; Joel Pohjanpalo (90') for Palermo.
›Where can I watch Palermo vs Mantova highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Palermo 5–2 Mantova are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.
›What is the head-to-head record between Palermo and Mantova?
Palermo and Mantova have met 4 times — 1 win for Palermo, 0 wins for Mantova and 3 draws.