Napoli thump Cremonese 4-0 to delay Inter's title celebrations
Napoli delivered a dominant 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Cremonese at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Friday night, a result that mathematically delays Inter Milan's Serie A title celebrations for at least another round. The comprehensive win, secured with goals from Scott McTominay, an Andrea Terracciano own-goal, Kevin De Bruyne, and Alisson Santos, ensures Inter cannot be crowned champions this weekend regardless of their own result against Torino.
McTominay opened the scoring after just three minutes, firing home from the edge of the box after being set up by De Bruyne. Napoli's relentless pressure continued, and they doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when a shot from Rasmus Hojlund took a decisive deflection off defender Terracciano, with the goal officially recorded as an own-goal by Serie A. De Bruyne compounded Cremonese's misery in first-half stoppage time, capitalizing on a defensive error to make it 3-0.
The second half saw little respite for the visitors, with Alisson Santos adding a fourth goal in the 52nd minute after a blistering counter-attack initiated by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Napoli could have further extended the margin, but Cremonese goalkeeper Stefano Audero saved a late penalty from McTominay. According to match statistics, Napoli finished the first half with 13 shots to Cremonese's zero, underlining their total control of the contest.
The result provides a significant morale boost for Antonio Conte's side following their disappointing home defeat to Lazio just six days prior. It solidifies their hold on second place, keeping them level on points with AC Milan and maintaining an eight-point cushion over the chasing pack for Champions League qualification. For Cremonese, managed by Davide Nicola, the performance was a stark setback in their battle against relegation. The club remains in 18th place with 28 points, level with Lecce, having taken just four points from their last five matches.
The match narrative was heavily influenced by Napoli's midfield, where McTominay and De Bruyne were particularly influential. The victory extends Napoli's formidable home record against Cremonese in Serie A, having now won eight of their nine meetings in Naples. Attention now turns to Sunday's fixtures, where Inter's result against Torino and the outcome of the AC Milan versus Juventus clash will determine the final implications of Napoli's postponement of the title party.
