Vittoria preziosissima per i grigiorossi, che si portano a soli tre punti dai liguri. Aspettando Lecce-Verona, la formazione lombarda sogna una clamorosa impresa
The Cremona is confirmed in great form and, after drawing with Milan, he wins the fight-salvation. The grey-reds they defeat Spezia 2-0climbing to 24 points and reaching at -3 from the third last, waiting for Lecce-Verona. After a complicated first half, with great saves by Meatballs, Ciofani makes Zini explode in the 41st minute. In the second half, vasquez doubles and Ballardini rejoices. Now Cremo can dream, despite a nightmare calendar.
THE MATCH
Cremonese begins to dream of a sensational salvation, defeating Spezia 2-0 in the clash-salvation and giving themselves hope, going -3 from third last. Semplici loses Bastoni in the warm-up and Esposito takes over, who immediately gets noticed with a free-kick high over the crossbar. The Ligurians did better at the start, but Carnesecchi got excited both on Amian and on Wisniewski’s subsequent header from the corner. After two minutes of fear, Ciofani shakes the Cremonese and finds the prompt response of Drągowski. The very high rhythms at the start of the game leave room for a more staid management of the ball, with Spezia in control and the Grigiorossi defending themselves. In the 41st minute, however, Cremo took the turn and took the lead: Ciofani signed it, who took advantage of a lucky rebound between the central players and then struck Drągowski with his left foot. The eagles react immediately with Gyasi, but Carnesecchi locks up his goal again and it’s 1-0 until the break. The black and white forcing continues in the second half, with Shomurudov immediately hitting the crossbar with a powerful shot. Galdames replies and Semplici decides it’s time to play the returning Nzola, switching to two strikers. The Angolan immediately touched the net, then it was up to Chiriches to save the Cremonese in the 71st minute following Ekdal’s entry. Also in this case the answer is immediate, with Benassi close to doubling. A goal that arrived, deservedly, in the 77th minute: from a lateral free-kick, Vásquez soared to the far post and beat Drągowski for the grey-red 2-0. In the final the Ligurian forcing is suffocating, but Verde and Nzola slam Carnesecchi. Cremonese wins 2-0 and Ballardini dreams: grey-reds at -3 from Spezia and Verona, engaged tomorrow against Lecce. However, the calendar is very complicated: Juventus, Bologna, Lazio and Salernitana. The Ligurians, on the other hand, are sinking, with three knockouts in a row and only nine points in the second round, where they only defeated Inter on 10 March.
REPORT CARDS
Carnesecchi 7 – Another top notch performance. He saves his goal on at least three occasions with prodigious interventions and puts his indelible signature on the victory of Cremonese.
Ciofani 6.5 – The Cremo gladiator plays with the mask, like Osimhen, and scores a three-point goal. His left foot puts the challenge on the right track and gives Ballardini great hope.
Road 6 – The Spezia fans were anxiously awaiting his return, and rightly so. He comes in and touches the net on two occasions. Now, however, the game is compromised.
Ampadu 5.5 – Save a goal scored in the second half, but the mistake in the first half is unforgivable. He gets completely thrown into a tailspin by Ciofani’s movement and slams into Wisniewski, opening the way to goal.
THE TABLE
CREMONESE-SPEZIA 2-0
CREMONESE (3-4-1-2) – Carnesecchi 7; Ferrari 6 (20′ st Chiriches 6), Lochoshvili 6.5, Vásquez 6.5; Sernicola 6, Castagnetti 6 (20′ st Benassi 6), Meité 6, Valeri 6; Galdames 6; Okereke 5.5 (47′ st Buonaiuto sv), Ciofani 6.5 (43′ st Afena-Gyan sv).
All. Ballardini.
Available: Saro, Sarr, Aiwu, Bianchetti, Ghiglione, Chiriches, Acella, Benassi, Basso Ricci.
SPICE (4-3-3) – Drągowski 5.5; Amian 6, Wisniewski 5.5, Ampadu 5.5, Nikolaou 5.5 (8′ st Reca 5.5); Bourabia 5.5 (8′ st Nzola 6), Esposito 5.5 (32′ st Cipot sv), Ekdal 6; Agudelo 6 (32′ st Kovalenko sv), Shomurodov 6, Gyasi 5.5 (15′ st Verde 6).
All. Simple.
Available: Zoet, Marchetti, Salva Ferrer, Caldara, Żurkowski.
Referee: Guide.
Scorers: 41′ Ciofani (C), 32′ st Vásquez (C).
Ammonites: Agudelo (S), Ampadu (S)
THE STATISTICS
Spezia have lost 14 of the 21 Serie A matches played against opponents from Lombardy (W3, D4); against no other “region” has it lost so many games in the tournament; however the last victory in the top flight came against a team from Lombardy (v Inter last March 10th).
La Cremonese has found the net in all of the last four home games of the tournament for the first time since April 1996 (four in that case too).
Cremonese have won six of their last seven home games against Spezia between Serie B and Coppa Italia (D1), keeping clean sheets in all of the last six.
Cremonese have earned seven points in their last three home league games (win against Empoli and Spezia and draw against Verona), the Grigiorossi have not recorded a longer streak without defeat at Zini in Serie A since the period between November 1995 and March 1996 ( 10 in that case).
Since the beginning of the year, only Juventus (13) have hit more woodwork than Spezia in the league (eight): second consecutive for the Ligurians after the one against Atalanta in the previous round.
Spezia have conceded in the first half in their last seven league games, the Eagles have never done worse in the first 45 minutes of a match in their Serie A history.
Spezia kicked six times on target in the first 45 minutes of the match against Cremonese. In its history in the top flight, only at the Marassi against Genoa – on 9 January 2022 – had the eagles made so many shots on goal in the first half of a match played away from home (six in that case too).
Seventh goal for Daniel Ciofani in the league: the grey-and-red striker is within two of his record for goals scored in a single Serie A season – nine when he wore the Frosinone shirt in 2015/16.
First goal for Johan Vásquez in this championship, the second ever in Serie A for the Mexican defender after the one scored against Sassuolo with the Genoa shirt on 17 October 2011 (also in that case with a header).
Since the beginning of 2023, Marco Carnesecchi is the goalkeeper who has made the most saves in Serie A (80, at least 17 more than any other goalkeeper).