The fourth official indicates five minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.
90' +2
A late Cremonese corner, taken by Sernicola, is cleared away by Kim before a clash of heads between the South Korea international and Aiwu brings play to a halt inside the Napoli penalty area.
90'
Olivera skips past two midfielders on his way towards the penalty area but a late lunge from Castagnetti manages to dispossess the full-back at the last possible moment, providing Carnesecchi the time and space to collect the loose ball.
88'
It looks to be job done for Napoli, who have thoroughly overwhelmed their opponents today. It'll be a sixth-consecutive win for the Partenopei should they see it out, and their fourth clean sheet in that time. It's a performance that keeps Spalletti's side top of not only the table, but with the best defence and attack in the league as well.
86'
D. Demme enters the game and replaces S. Lobotka.
Napoli make one final substitution in the closing stages of the game with Demme on for his fourth substitute appearance of the season, replacing Lobotka.
85'
Ndombele is sent into the action and immediately hits the deck after colliding with Gighlione in midfield. It seems the Cremonese substitute has come off worse, though both are being looked at by their respective medical staff.
83'
G. Raspadori enters the game and replaces K. Kvaratskhelia.
T. Ndombélé enters the game and replaces H. Lozano.
Spalletti opts to bring Ndombele on as well, as Lozano's number goes up on the fourth official's board.
Kvaratskhelia is brought off to loud applause, with the birthday man given an early rest. Raspadori will see out the remainder of the contest.
79'
E. Elmas has scored a goal for Napoli! Assist by G. Di Lorenzo.
Di Lorenzo pops up with an assist, putting Elmas into a position to better the goalkeeper.
ELMAS MAKES IT THREE! The substitute gets to the edge of the penalty area and turns back to find Di Lorenzo, before turning with pace to get on the end of the full-back’s dinked pass. With time and space in the penalty area the substitute opts to lash a half-volley towards goal, beating a full-stretch Carnesecchi!
78'
Napoli are doing well with just over 10 minutes remaining to maintain possession of the ball and force their opponents to chase shadows. Spalletti will be hoping for a routine end to the contest, with his side thoroughly in the ascendancy as the Partenopei continue their title push.
Minute
Description
76'
C. Acella enters the game and replaces S. Meïté.
A change in midfield for Cremonese sees Acella brought on for Meite.
74'
E. Aiwu gets yellow.
Osimhen comes short to receive possession and he’s charged through the back by Aiwu, who leaves a heavy challenge on the striker. It’s a yellow card for the centre-back, just the second of the fixture.
73'
Elmas clips a corner into the penalty area for the unmarked Rrahmani, who prods his header towards Di Lorenzo. Unselfishly, the captain looks to supply Osimhen from close range but the final pass gives the defence enough time to reorganise and clear the danger.
71'
E. Elmas enters the game and replaces P. Zieliński.
Zielinski limps off in some discomfort, with Elmas thrown into the fray.
A swap at full-back sees Olivera take over for Rui.
70'
M. Olivera enters the game and replaces Mário Rui.
Play is stopped momentarily for Zielinski, who lost his footing and caught the heel of Aiwu during an attempted press. The midfielder appears to have lost his footing and is in a bit of pain, with Napoli already preparing a substitute.
68'
P. Ghiglione enters the game and replaces J. Vásquez.
Ghiglione replaces the booked Vasquez with just over 20 minutes to go.
67'
Valeri cuts inside from the left and wires a powerful shot through the legs of Di Lorenzo, missing the target narrowly!
65'
V. Osimhen has scored a goal for Napoli! Assist by Kim Min-Jae.
Kim picks up his first assist of the season, putting Osimhen in a position to score.
OSIMHEN MAKES IT TWO! 2-0! The leader in the Capocannoniere race adds his 17th goal of the season from two yards out, tapping the ball past Carnesecchi following a poorly defended corner. Di Lorenzo meets the delivery at the near post and forces a save from the goalkeeper, who parries it to the other side for Kim. The South Korea international has the presence of mind to square a pass with his head for Osimhen, who tucks it away!
63'
Lozano gets to the edge of the penalty area with team-mates all around him but Meite’s timely intervention wins the ball back at the last second for Cremonese.
61'
Pickel also makes way with Castagnetti tasked with filling the void in midfield.
60'
D. Ciofani enters the game and replaces F. Tsadjout.
M. Castagnetti enters the game and replaces C. Pickel.
Ciofani comes in for Tsadjout as Cremonese continue to search for a way back into the game.
58'
Rui teases a corner into the penalty area looking for Di Lorenzo but Chiriches is first to the delivery, heading it away from danger at the first time of asking.
54'
Zielinski’s corner somehow manages to bounce all the way through the penalty area towards the far edge of the box, where Kvaratskhelia brings it under his spell. After cutting inside the Georgia international looks to hit an effort towards goal but it flies harmlessly wide.
52'
Napoli’s players are protesting with the referee to have another look at a challenge from Vasquez on Lozano, in which the winger’s foot was caught by the studs of his opponent. It looked more clumsy than malicious but either way the wing-back is
50'
Kvaratskhelia plays a long pass down the pitch looking for Osimhen but the striker is unable to corral it despite stretching every sinew, allowing Carnesecchi to come off his line to grab the ball.
48'
Sernicola catches the face of Lobotka with a flailing arm during an attempt to shield the ball from the midfielder and Rui. The Slovakia international remains on the turf and is requiring a bit of medical attention, which stops play two minutes after the restart.
46'
E. Valeri enters the game and replaces A. Ferrari.
Valeri comes in for Ferrari in a half-time change for Cremonese.
Napoli get the match restarted from the kick-off!
45' +1
HALF-TIME: NAPOLI 1-0 CREMONESE.
45'
The fourth official adds just a minute to the end of the half for stoppages.
44'
Zielinski turns on a pass 30 yards from goal and whacks a shot towards Carnesecchi, with the goalkeeper grateful to watch it blaze narrowly over the crossbar.
42'
Benassi attempts to find Tsadjout with an outswinging corner but the delivery misses the head of the forward and falls kindly to the foot of Lozano, who powers away on a counter-attack.
40'
Cremonese find themselves in a familiar situation, down by one to open the game for the fourth time in six matches, while averaging less than a goal per game in that time. Though rarely out of a contest, Ballardini’s side have found it extremely difficult to find the back of the net themselves, as the second-lowest scorers in Serie A; only ahead of Sampdoria.
38'
Benassi has a quickfire strike from outside the penalty area, stinging the palms of Meret, who makes the required catch.
36'
Zielinski takes a corner short to Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the penalty area but his incisive pass towards Rui is intercepted at the last moment by Ferrari.
34'
Lozano again gets free on the right and hooks a delivery into the 18, with Osimhen meeting the ball on the penalty spot only to see it sail over the crossbar.
32'
Rui puts an early cross to the edge of the penalty area for Osimhen, who fails to read the intentions of his team-mate as Vasquez powers a clearing volley down the pitch.
30'
Zielinski’s corner to the near post goes through the legs of Di Lorenzo towards Osimhen, whose slight touch takes it up into the awaiting arms of the goalkeeper.
29'
Osimhen charges into the penalty area ahead of Chiriches to latch onto a throughball but he gets to the pass with just enough time to backheel it off the defender and out for a corner.
27'
Di Lorenzo dinks an accurate cross into the penalty area for the run of Kvaratskhelia after the Cremonese defence chooses to focus on Osimhen, but the crafty winger powers his header wide of the target.
25'
Kvaratskhelia makes it four games in a row with at least a goal or an assist, finishing three and setting up four in that span. It’s an incredible output from the Georgia international, who is truly flourishing in his first season in Serie A.
23'
Benassi’s corner is taken towards Vasquez but the combination of Rrahmani and Rui link up well to squeeze the wing-back off the ball and clear the danger.
21'
K. Kvaratskhelia has scored a goal for Napoli!
KVARATSKHELIA GETS HIS BIRTHDAY GOAL! 1-0 NAPOLI! Lozano’s cross to the far post is not dealt with by Sernicola, who puts his clearing header just outside the penalty area on the byline. Kvaratskhelia keeps it in play cleverly before cutting inside and firing a low shot that catches the goalkeeper off guard!
20'
A giveaway in midfield sets Cremonese off towards goal through Benassi, who finds Afena-Gyan with a square pass 18 yards from goal. The forward winds up and has a strike, but it’s put directly at the leg of a covering Lobotka as the move breaks down.
19'
Zielinski and Rui stand over the corner but it’s the former who takes the set-piece, curling a cross into the head of Di Lorenzo at the near post. The captain gets great contact on the ball but Carnesecchi manages to tip it over the crossbar.
17'
Zielinski clips a cross into Lozano, who chests it down for the Poland international to continue the move. The midfielder then picks out Rui on the edge of the penalty area, but the left-back’s shot is far too easy for Carnesecchi to deal with.
15'
CLOSE! Sernicola’s fancy footwork again gets him free of both Kvaratskhelia and Rui but his near-post cross isn’t turned towards goal by Pickel as Napoli scramble it away.
13'
J. Vásquez gets yellow.
Vasquez earns himself the first yellow card of the match for a cynical foul on his Mexico team-mate Lozano in an attempt to break up a counter-attack.
11'
Di Lorenzo’s ill-advised header back towards Meret is almost pounced upon by Afena-Gyan, but Meret is slightly quicker to the loose ball, rushing off his line to win the race.
9'
Sernicola drives down the right wing and beats Kvaratskhelia before pulling a low cross into the penalty area, where both Afena-Gyan and Tsadjout miss the delivery. Vasquez pops up at the far post and looks to hit a shot towards goal, but a retreating Lozano does enough to turn it behind for a corner.
7'
Di Lorenzo curls a shot from 20 yards out that’s dealt with well by Carnesecchi, whose full-stretch parry takes the ball away from danger.
5'
Lobotka is caught high up the back by a flailing Pickel, who catches the midfielder with his knee. It’s a free-kick for Napoli just inside their own half, while the Slovakia international takes a moment to gather himself.
3'
Cremonese are finding it difficult to keep hold of possession in the early stages, with the visitors forced to launch it long at every opportunity for Tsadjout. It will be a difficult test for the club 20th in Serie A and they’ll need to be regimented and organised if they wish to take anything from the game.
1'
Cremonese get the match under way from the kick-off!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Serie A fixture between Napoli and Cremonese!
Cremonese’s eight points keep them rooted to the bottom of Serie A, having gone 21 matches without a victory. Despite four losses in their last five matches in the league, Davide Ballardini can still have hope for his side, who’ve knocked both Napoli and Roma out of the Coppa Italia.
NAPOLI SUBS: Davide Marfella, Mathias Olivera, Gianluca Gaetano, Karim Zedadka, Pierluigi Gollini, Juan Jesus, Giacomo Raspadori, Tanguy Ndombele, Matteo Politano, Bartosz Bereszynski, Giovanni Simeone, Leo Ostigard, Diego Demme, Eljif Elmas, Alessio Zerbin.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how the two sides are lining up - starting with our hosts!
First host last as Napoli welcome Cremonese to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, looking to go a whopping 16 points clear of second-placed Inter, who play tomorrow. The Partenopei have won all five of their Serie A fixtures since a first loss to the Nerazzurri in their opening match of the calendar year, though today’s visitors got the better of Luciano Spalletti’s side in the Coppa Italia just over a month ago, knocking out them out on penalties.
NAPOLI XI (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Mario Rui, Kim Min-jae, Amir Rrahmani, Giovanni Di Lorenzo; Piotr Zielinski, Stanislav Lobotka, Frank Anguissa; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Victor Osimhen, Hirving Lozano.
CREMONESE XI (3-5-2): Marco Carnesecchi; Alex Ferrari, Vlad Chiriches, Emanuel Aiwu; Leonardo Sernicola, Charles Pickel, Soualiho Meite, Marco Benassi, Johan Vasquez; Felix Afena-Gyan, Frank Tsadjout.
Despite the desperate need to attack, already behind by a goal, Ballardini’s bench will offer him little reassurance as Tsadjout and Afena-Gyan remain the only two healthy strikers available. Perhaps the introduction of Ghiglione down the flank could stretch the play in place of the booked Vasquez. Napoli will certainly go looking for a bit of insurance in the second half, with Simeone, Politano and Raspadori all ready to double the hosts’ advantage.
CREMONESE SUBS: Paolo Ghiglione, Pablo Galdames, Daniel Ciofani, Emanuele Valeri, Christian Acella, Mouhamadou Sarr, Gianluca Saro, Michele Castagnetti, Daniel Ciofani.
That concludes our commentary of the Serie A fixture between Napoli and Cremonese! We hope you’ve enjoyed it!
Napoli feature again on Friday, when they travel to play Sassuolo in Serie A. Cremonese get a little more rest before their next game, a meeting with Torino on Monday week.
Commentary
More…