Cremonese - Sassuolo 29-08-2025

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Two teams with a lot to prove

Round 2 of Serie A is upon us. Two teams, Cremonese and Sassuolo, meet again – this time in Italy’s top division. The teams come in with different starting points after the first round, where both were tested against strong opposition. Now just three points are good enough when building the foundation for a good season.

Cremonese – self-defeated from the first round 

At the beginning of June, it was announced that the proud team from the province of Cremona would be playing Serie A football again, after beating Spezia in the play-off final. The team last played at the top level in the 2022/23 season. Since then, they have remained at the top of Serie B without quite being able to take the next step – until now.

Coach Davide Nicola, who last managed Cagliari, has good Serie A experience and could be an important asset throughout the season. Together with Nicola, Cremonese have also brought in quality on the pitch, something we already saw the effect of in the first round. Indonesian goalkeeper Emil Audero is on loan from Como. He is an experienced Serie A goalkeeper who can provide security at the back.

Many of the new players were instrumental in the 2–1 away win against AC Milan in the opening round – a result that surprised many. Alessio Zerbin at wing-back, Federico Baschirotto in central defence and Federico Bonazzoli up top were all heavily involved with goals, the latter deciding the match with a crazy overhead kick.

Cremonese played in a 3-5-2 formation, with principles reminiscent of several other Italian teams. We saw last season that Monza, Venezia and Empoli tried the same, but were unable to hold their ground. The difference with Cremonese was their ability to be aggressive in a deep back five, where they both defended the box well and made it difficult for opponents to get crosses against the big, strong defenders.

Going forward, the key lies in strong wing-backs who can run wide and create crossing opportunities. The team attacks and defends with many players, but that also creates a risk of counterattacks if they lose the ball high up the pitch. They must be careful of that when Sassuolo's fast attackers come to visit.

Last season, Cremonese finished 4th in Serie B. They scored 62 goals (third most) and conceded 44 – a bit too many for a team that wants to appear compact defensively. Now it’s Serie A, and the team has signed several key players in central roles. The opening of the season showed that this could be a quite different and more competitive team than the last time they were at the top level.

Sassuolo – Back among the greats

Our Norwegian friend Kristian Thorstvedt's team emerged victorious from Serie B last season and were promoted directly to Serie A – an arena they have extensive experience in. However, the comeback was not crowned with points, as Napoli won 2–0 at the Mapei Stadium in the first round.

Sassuolo play in a classic 4-3-3 formation. Defenders Josh Doig and Sebastian Walukiewicz contribute offensively with runs along the wings, while the midfield tries to dominate centrally. The biggest weapon is still the wings: Armand Laurienté was the top scorer in Serie B with 18 goals, and was close to a move to Sunderland in the summer. Domenico Berardi is the club's legend, faithful since 2012, and had 19 goal points last season. In addition, striker Andrea Pinamonti, who scored 10 goals for Genoa last year, will be an important resource.

Against Napoli, the weaknesses became clear. Sassuolo were tame in their own box, and that opened up space for Napoli to decide. Nevertheless, they created some chances and showed morale. When new signing Ismael Koné was sent off after two yellow cards, the hope of a comeback disappeared.

All in all, this is a team that looks set to be back in Serie A to stay. They have invested in the transfer market, and both their performances in Serie B (+40 in goal difference and only 6 losses) and the quality of the squad suggest that they can compete with the established teams.

Summary

This will be a meeting between two exciting teams with a lot to prove. They know each other well after two meetings in Serie B last season, where Cremonese won 4-1 away in August and the teams played 1-1 in May. We can expect two teams that want to dictate the game – and a lot can happen.

Game: Serie A at 18:30 Cremonese - Sassuolo: Both teams score (1.74)

alternative games:

• Cremonese over 1.5 goals (2.20)
• Domenico Berardi over 1.5 shots on goal (3.30)