Cremonese vs Napoli — Match Preview
A post-Christmas Serie A clash awaits at the Stadio Giovanni Zini on Sunday, 28 December 2025. Napoli, currently sitting 3rd in the table with 31 points, travel north looking to maintain their title charge. The Partenopei have been a mixed bag recently, securing vital wins against Juventus and Milan but slipping up away to Udinese and Benfica. They face a resilient Cremonese side that occupies a comfortable 11th place (21 points). Under Davide Nicola, the hosts have proven difficult to break down, evidenced by their recent 0–0 draw away at Lazio, though they will be eager to bounce back from a disappointing 0–1 loss to Torino in their last home outing.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Match Info
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 17)
- Venue: Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona (Capacity: 20,641)
- Date: Sunday, 28 December 2025
- Kickoff: 15:00 CET | 14:00 GMT | 09:00 ET
- Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
Cremonese vs Napoli — Match Stakes
Cremonese (11th — 21 pts):
- Win → Moves to 24 pts; cements their status as a top-half contender and distances them further from the relegation zone.
- Draw → A prestigious point against a title challenger; extends their solid home reputation.
- Loss → Risk slipping into the bottom half if Torino or Udinese win; continues a mixed run of form (1W, 1D, 2L in last 4).
Napoli (3rd — 31 pts):
- Win → Moves to 34 pts; keeps pressure on Inter and AC Milan in the Scudetto race.
- Draw → Two points dropped; risks falling further behind the Milan clubs.
- Loss → A major blow to title hopes; allows Roma (30 pts) and Juventus (29 pts) to potentially leapfrog them.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Team News
Cremonese:
- Sarmiento J. — Out (Muscle Discomfort)
- Bianchetti M. — Out (Nose Injury – Defensive Leader Missing)
- Grassi A. — Questionable (Muscle fatigue)
- Johnsen D. — Questionable (Late fitness test)
- Tactical Note: Without Bianchetti, expect Federico Ceccherini to step into the back three, tasked with organizing the defense against Napoli’s potent attack.
Napoli:
- Rrahmani A. — Out (Hamstring Injury – Key Defender)
- Spinazzola L. — Out (Muscle Injury)
- Højlund R. — Out (Hamstring Injury – Star Striker Missing)
- Lobotka S. — Questionable (Thigh – Late fitness test)
- Olivera M. — Questionable (Muscle fatigue)
Cremonese vs Napoli — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Cremonese
- 20/12 — 0–0 vs Lazio (Serie A)
- 13/12 — 0–1 vs Torino (Serie A)
- 07/12 — 2–0 vs Lecce (Serie A)
- 02/12 — 3–1 vs Bologna (Serie A)
- 23/11 — 1–3 vs AS Roma (Serie A)
Napoli
- 23/12 — 2–0 vs Bologna (Supercoppa – if applicable/Cup match)
- 19/12 — 2–0 vs AC Milan (Supercoppa – if applicable/Cup match)
- 14/12 — 0–1 vs Udinese (Serie A)
- 11/12 — 0–2 vs Benfica (UCL)
- 08/12 — 2–1 vs Juventus (Serie A)
Cremonese vs Napoli — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 13/02/2023 — Napoli 3–0 Cremonese (Serie A)
- 18/01/2023 — Napoli 2–2 Cremonese (Coppa Italia – Cremonese won on pens)
- 09/10/2022 — Cremonese 1–4 Napoli (Serie A)
- 24/07/2019 — Napoli 3–3 Cremonese (Friendly)
- 13/06/1999 — Napoli 2–1 Cremonese (Serie B)
Cremonese vs Napoli — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Cremonese (3-5-2)
Audero; Ceccherini, Baschirotto, Terracciano; Barbieri, Pickel, Majer, Bondo, Pezzella; Vazquez, Bonazzoli
Napoli (4-3-3)
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Juan Jesus, Mazzocchi; Anguissa, Gilmour, McTominay; Politano, Simeone, Kvaratskhelia
Cremonese vs Napoli — Impact Bench
Cremonese: Vandeputte (Creative spark), De Luca (Target man option)
Napoli: Neres (Pace against tired legs), Raspadori (Link-up play), Folorunsho (Physicality)
Cremonese vs Napoli — Tactical Analysis
Cremonese
Davide Nicola’s side will likely set up in a compact 3-5-2 block, looking to deny Napoli space between the lines. Their wing-backs, Barbieri and Pezzella, will need to be disciplined to track Napoli’s wide threats. Without the ball, they will sit deep and look to hit long balls to the physical duo of Vazquez and Bonazzoli, hoping to catch Napoli’s high line out of position.
Napoli
Despite missing Rasmus Højlund, Napoli’s game plan remains possession-oriented. Antonio Conte (or current manager) will demand quick circulation to move Cremonese’s block. Scott McTominay’s late runs into the box will be crucial to break the deadlock if Cremonese sits deep. With Rrahmani out, the inexperienced defensive partnership of Buongiorno and Juan Jesus could be targeted by Cremonese’s direct play.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Key Battles
- Vazquez vs Juan Jesus — The veteran playmaker’s guile vs the defender’s positioning.
- Kvaratskhelia vs Barbieri — Napoli’s dangerman vs Cremonese’s wing-back; a potential mismatch.
- McTominay vs Bondo — Physical battle for midfield dominance.
- Audero vs Simeone — GK needs a big performance against Hojlund’s replacement.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Spotlight Players
Cremonese — Emil Audero
The goalkeeper leads the league in saves per match (4.1). Against a Napoli side that averages over 12 shots per game, he will be the busiest man on the pitch.
Napoli — Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
With Højlund out, the goalscoring burden falls on “Kvaradona”. He needs to be clinical and create chances for Simeone to ensure Napoli doesn’t drop points in a tricky away fixture.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Prediction
Cremonese 0–1 Napoli
Cremonese are stubborn at home, but Napoli’s quality should eventually shine through. The absence of key defenders for Cremonese (Bianchetti) tips the scales slightly in favor of the visitors. Expect a tight, low-scoring affair decided by a single moment of quality, likely from Kvaratskhelia or a McTominay header.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Betting Insights
- Napoli to Win — Probability ~63%
- Under 2.5 Goals — Highly Likely (Cremonese defend deep; Napoli missing main striker)
- Referee Card Watch — Maurizio Mariani averages ~4.1 yellow cards per game; expect cards in a physical midfield battle.
Cremonese vs Napoli — Where to Watch
- Italy: DAZN
- USA: Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo
- UK: TNT Sports
- International: OneFootball (Select Markets)
Cremonese vs Napoli — FAQs
Q: When is the Cremonese vs Napoli match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 28 December 2025, at 15:00 CET.
Q: Is Rasmus Højlund playing?
A: No. He is ruled out with a hamstring injury. Giovanni Simeone is expected to start.
Q: Who is the referee?
A: Maurizio Mariani will officiate the match.
Q: What was the result of their last Serie A meeting?
A: Napoli won 3–0 on February 12, 2023.
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