Second win for Nicola’s team; the visitors were knocked out after squandering chances through Stulic and Berisha

Heart, head, and ferocity to turn around a match that started on a sour note. Cremonese continues to climb: 20 points and eighth place alongside Sassuolo, the other formidable newly promoted side. A penalty by Bonazzoli and a flash of brilliance from Sanabria punished a Lecce side that was brilliant in the first half but then, for some reason, vanished from the field. The Apulians’ standings aren’t exactly dire, but the collapse doesn’t inspire optimism. Zini, on the other hand, is celebrating: after the feat in Bologna, here comes the victory of self-belief.
The match: Among the Grigiorossi, Floriani starts on the left wing in place of the feverish Pezzella. He’ll be one of the liveliest players in a forgettable first half. On the other side, Berisha operates behind the attacking trio, so there are four players pressing on Cremonese’s first pass. Result: a slew of recovered balls and possession consistently in the visitors’ hands, who could have broken the deadlock early on if Stulic hadn’t squandered a sure goal: a flat shot high over an open net. Chilling. Then Berisha also had a chance (saved by Audero), the brain of a robust and proactive Lecce. And Cremo? Too many players below par and zero ideas, starting with a midfield that can’t string two passes together. The halftime tie is far too generous for the worst version of the Grigiorossi this season. Di Francesco brings on Sottil for the yellow-carded and unfocused Banda, but it’s Ramadani who makes a blunder early in the second half. His ill-timed tackle on Vandeputte’s foot is naive. The problem for Lecce is that the contact occurred in the box. After a lengthy VAR review, Mucera awarded the penalty, which Bonazzoli coolly converted. Cremonese regained their composure, making their superior quality count: they gained ground and confidence, especially with the introduction of Zerbin and Sanabria, while the visitors became a pale shadow of the attacking team from the first half. And they fell again. The knockout blow came from Vardy, who recovered the ball and found Zerbin: the cross was clean and precise, finding Sanabria’s head. His first league goal. And Cremonese soared.