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Can Napoli’s post-Supercoppa momentum survive a tricky Cremonese away test? Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
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Stoke are on a three-game winning streak and face a QPR side that has failed to win any of their last four away fixtures.
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Stoke’s efficiency at home combined with QPR’s aerial threat makes a 2-1 result a high-value reflection of the tactical matchup.
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Cremonese vs Napoli Predictions and Best Bets
Cremonese vs Napoli — bet365 Market Snapshot
Pricing based on match analysis and latest Serie A form.
Napoli’s 67% win rate and 56.4% possession reflect their status as clear favourites for this away trip.
Napoli’s 0.87 goals conceded per game points toward a disciplined away performance.
- A clear split in control styles: Napoli average 56.4% possession with 85.5% pass accuracy in Serie A, while Cremonese average 45.9% possession and 77.8% accuracy.
- Shot volume hints at pressure versus moments: Napoli take 12.7 shots per Serie A game, while Cremonese take 8.6, shaping expectations of sustained attacks against selective counters.
- Goals spread versus a more concentrated threat: Napoli have multiple players on four league goals (Anguissa, De Bruyne, Højlund), while Cremonese’s top two are Bonazzoli with five and Vardy with four.
Match Control: Possession & Accuracy
Napoli’s technical dominance is reflected in their significantly higher ball retention metrics compared to the hosts.
Averaging 56.4% possession, the visitors prioritize short passes and tactical control.
The hosts operate with less of the ball, averaging 45.9% possession this season.
Offensive Pressure: Shots per Match
The shot volume highlights the constant threat posed by the league-leading visitors.
Frequent attempts have translated into 22 league goals scored for the visitors.
The hosts rely on efficiency, having netted 18 times from fewer total attempts.
Soon after picking up the season’s first silverware, Napoli head to Cremona to close out what’s described as a historic year with a weekend trip to Cremonese. The mood around the visitors is set: Serie A champions, fresh success in the Supercoppa Italiana, and now the job of turning celebration into concentration for a league away day that won’t play itself.
Cremonese, though, are not presented as a side arriving in awe. Their recent run has mixed sharp highs with stubborn lows: a 3-1 win away at Bologna, a 2-0 home win over Lecce, and a 0-0 draw at Lazio sit alongside narrow defeats against Pisa and Torino and a 3-1 loss to Roma. It’s the profile of a team that can be organised and awkward, but also one that’s had to scrap for every clean sheet and every point.
The table snapshot frames the challenge. Cremonese are 12th with 21 points from 16 matches, while Napoli are third with 31 points from 15. This is not a meeting of equals in the standings, but it is a fixture where styles and moments could matter: Cremonese are set up to attack down the right, play long balls and crosses, and take long shots; Napoli like to play with width, control the game in the opposition half and probe with through balls.
That contrast sets up an intriguing end-of-year test. Napoli arrive with the glow of silverware. Cremonese have the chance to gatecrash the party.
Team News and Likely Set-Ups
Cremonese’s possible starting lineup is: Audero; Terracciano, Baschirotto, Bianchetti; Barbieri, Payero, Bondo, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy.
That reads as a 3-5-2, which matches their most-used league formation. The spine is clear: a back three in front of Audero, a midfield line with Payero and Bondo tasked with the heavy lifting, and Vandeputte offering craft and delivery. Up top, Bonazzoli and Vardy is a front pair that suggests Cremonese will want to be clinical when the game turns in their favour, even if they don’t dominate the ball for long spells.
There are also two listed absences for the hosts: Federico Ceccherini is out through suspension, and Michele Collocolo is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Napoli’s possible starting lineup is: Milinkovic-Savic; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Politano, Lobotka, McTominay, Spinazzola; Neres, Lang.
The shape here is less cleanly labelled, but the personnel points towards a back three and wing-backs as well, especially with Di Lorenzo and Spinazzola named and a trio of centre-backs listed. In midfield, Lobotka is the obvious organiser, with McTominay giving Napoli a runner who can arrive into advanced areas. Ahead of them, Neres and Lang suggests a pair who can play wide, receive to feet, and carry the ball into threatening zones.
Even without every detail pinned down, the broad picture is clear: two sides comfortable with a back three, two sets of wing channels likely to be busy, and a midfield contest that could decide whether this is played in Cremonese’s half or as a stop-start, transition-led scrap.
How the Match Could Be Played
A 3-5-2 meeting another back-three set-up can feel like chess played at sprint speed. The pitch gets divided into lanes, and everything becomes about who owns the wide areas and who wins the second balls when moves break down.
Cremonese’s profile suggests they won’t be shy about playing in their own half and inviting pressure. Their style leans into long balls, width, and crossing, with a stated preference for attacking down the right. That immediately puts the spotlight on Barbieri’s flank and the support around him. If Cremonese can get the ball out to that side early, they can ask Napoli’s left channel to defend facing their own goal, rather than stepping up and pinning Cremonese back.
The risk, of course, is that Cremonese can struggle to keep hold of the ball. When you’re weak at keeping possession, every clearance becomes a boomerang if the opponent is comfortable recycling attacks. Napoli, by contrast, are described as a possession side: short passes, width, control in the opposition half, and frequent through-ball attempts. That combination is designed to grind teams down — stretch them wide, tempt a line to step out, then slide a pass into the space that appears.
The tactical tension is whether Napoli can turn that control into clean chances without leaving themselves exposed. Napoli are strong at creating chances through individual skill and through balls, but their weaknesses include defending counter-attacks and defending against skilful players. That matters here because Cremonese’s strengths include creating chances through individual skill and finishing scoring chances. If Cremonese can lure Napoli forward and then spring a break with Bonazzoli or Vardy running into space, the match can turn quickly from “Napoli camped outside the box” to “Napoli sprinting back”.
Cremonese’s weaknesses also help sketch the likely Napoli game plan. They can be weak defending against through-ball attacks and weak defending against long shots. Napoli’s approach naturally hits both buttons: through balls when the line is unsettled, and shots from range when the block refuses to open. A game like this can hinge on patience. If Napoli force it, the ball turns over and Cremonese get the transition they want. If Napoli keep their spacing and keep shifting the point of attack, Cremonese’s defending can become reactive, and that’s where the through ball arrives at the worst possible moment.
In midfield, there’s a fascinating contrast of roles suggested by the names. Lobotka’s passing numbers in the squad list are high and align with Napoli’s short-pass style, while McTominay’s shot volume points to a midfielder who isn’t afraid to get attempts away. For Cremonese, Vandeputte’s assist count highlights a clear creative hub, and Payero’s disciplinary record hints at the kind of physical, slightly chaotic midfield performance that can disrupt a more controlled opponent.
The wide zones may end up being the true battleground. Napoli’s style includes attacking down the right, and Politano is listed in the starting side on that flank. Cremonese, meanwhile, like attacking down the right themselves. When both teams want to use the same corridor, one of them usually ends up being forced backwards. The side that can win that territory battle — not with one run, but repeatedly — will likely dictate whether this feels like a Napoli procession or a Cremonese ambush.
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The Numbers That Support the Story
The league outputs underline why Napoli will expect to have more of the ball and more attacking touches. Napoli have 31 points from 15 matches, with 22 goals scored and 13 conceded in Serie A. That’s the profile of a team that regularly finds a way through while keeping games relatively under control.
Cremonese’s numbers paint a different shape. They have 21 points from 16 matches, with 18 goals scored. Their shot volume is 8.6 shots per game in Serie A, which suggests they’re not built to pepper teams from all angles; they’ll need their attacks to mean something when they arrive. Napoli’s Serie A shot figure is 12.7 per game, which points to more sustained pressure and more entries into shooting positions. In a match-up like this, that gap matters because it hints at what each side can tolerate: Napoli can keep coming; Cremonese may need to make their moments count.
Possession and passing also support the stylistic read. Napoli average 56.4% possession in Serie A with 85.5% pass accuracy, which aligns with their preference for short passes and control high up the pitch. Cremonese are at 45.9% possession with 77.8% pass accuracy, suggesting longer spells without the ball and a more direct route when they do win it.
Individual numbers flag the likely protagonists. For Cremonese, Bonazzoli has five league goals and Vardy has four; Vandeputte has four assists. For Napoli, Anguissa has four league goals, De Bruyne has four, and Højlund has four, while Neres has three goals and three assists, and McTominay has two goals and two assists. Those are not just tallies; they hint at how threats are spread. Cremonese look like they’ll lean heavily on their front pair and supply line, while Napoli’s goals are shared across midfield and attack, making them harder to plan against in a single way.
Key “Moments” to Watch
One early moment to watch is whether Cremonese can actually build anything down their right side under Napoli pressure. If that outlet works, it gives Bonazzoli and Vardy service and it pulls Napoli’s shape wider than they’d like. If it doesn’t, the game risks becoming wave after wave of Napoli possession, with Cremonese reduced to clearing and resetting.
Another swing factor is the first time Napoli find a clean through ball into the space behind Cremonese’s midfield line. Cremonese can be weak defending against through-ball attacks, and Napoli like to attempt them often. You don’t need a dozen of those passes; you need one that arrives at the right time, with the defensive line just a step too high or a step too deep.
Long shots are also likely to play a role. Cremonese are weak defending against long shots, and Napoli are strong at creating long-shot opportunities. That kind of chance can be a match-changer even when the box is crowded: a strike, a parry, a rebound, and suddenly the careful structure looks flimsy.
Then there’s the counter-attack theme. Napoli’s vulnerability in defending counters meets a Cremonese side that is strong at finishing chances and can create through individual skill. If Napoli commit too many bodies forward chasing the opener, one loose touch or one intercepted pass can open a lane for Cremonese to run into.
What could go wrong with this read? A game that looks set up for Napoli control can become messy if Cremonese turn it into duels and second balls, especially in a back-three mirror where individual battles decide territory. One early goal can also flip the script entirely, forcing the other side to take risks and turning a structured contest into a series of chaotic transitions.
Best Bet for Cremonese vs Napoli
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Napoli to win
The rationale for backing the visitors in Cremona is built on a clear disparity in technical execution and seasonal efficiency. While the league standings place them third with 31 points—ten ahead of their twelfth-placed hosts—the underlying metrics tell a story of two very different tactical profiles. Napoli arrive as a high-control side, averaging 56.4% possession and an 85.5% pass accuracy. This allows them to dictate the tempo of matches, primarily through a style that utilizes short passes and frequent through-ball attempts to stretch opposition defenses.
Conversely, Cremonese often operate without the ball, averaging 45.9% possession. Their defensive profile has shown specific vulnerabilities that align perfectly with the visitors’ offensive strengths. The home side is characterized as being weak at defending against through-ball attacks and long shots—two areas where the reigning champions excel. In fact, Napoli are noted as being very strong at creating chances through individual skill and strong at shooting from range. This mismatch suggests that even if the hosts maintain their organized 3-5-2 shape, the individual quality of players like David Neres and Rasmus Højlund is likely to find a breakthrough.
Furthermore, the volume of attacking threat is significantly tilted in one direction. Napoli generate an average of 12.7 shots per match in the league, compared to just 8.6 for Cremonese. This pressure has translated into 22 goals scored this season, while a disciplined defensive structure has conceded only 13. While Cremonese have shown they can be resilient, evidenced by a recent 0-0 draw at Lazio, their lack of a prolific scoring outlet—averaging just 1.13 goals per game—makes it difficult for them to match a side that has a 67% win rate. When combined with a head-to-head record where Napoli have won the last two league meetings by a combined score of 7-1, the evidence points toward a professional away victory.
What could go wrong
The risk in this selection lies in Napoli’s occasional inconsistency on the road, where they have recorded four wins and four defeats in eight away fixtures. Additionally, the visitors are noted for having a weakness in defending counter-attacks, which is a core part of the home side’s strategy. If Cremonese can successfully weaponize their long-ball style and exploit the pace of their front pair, they could frustrate the favorites, especially if Napoli’s high possession doesn’t lead to an early opening.
Correct score lean
Cremonese 0-2 Napoli
This scoreline reflects a controlled performance where the visitors’ superior quality translates into a comfortable margin. Napoli average 1.47 goals per game and possess one of the league’s best defensive records, conceding only 0.87 goals per 90 minutes. Cremonese have struggled for goals at home against top-tier opposition, and their lack of shot volume (8.6 per game) suggests they will find it difficult to breach a defense that has already recorded five shutouts this season. Given that Napoli have scored at least twice in each of their last four matches against this opponent, a 2-0 result is the most logical outcome.
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