13 May 2023
Juventus host Cremonese on Sunday at the Allianz Stadium in the penultimate fixture of Serie A Matchday 35. The weekend's action kicked off with a 2-2 draw between Lazio and Lecce on Friday, a result that interests both the Bianconeri and their opponents in their respective quests in these closing weeks of the season.
Let's take a look at how Cremonese's campaign has unfolded since the teams last met in the first days of 2023.
THE SEASON SO FAR
There was barely time to reflect on the first winter World Cup when domestic football once again took centre stage. Just over two weeks had elapsed since Argentina - and Ángel Di María and Leandro Paredes - had been crowned world champions when Juventus took to the pitch at the Giovanni Zini stadium for the first time in over a quarter of a century.
A last-gasp set piece goal sent the Bianconeri home with all three points. That match, decided by Arek Milik's precise free-kick, was the first of three straight losses at the turn of the year that brought a change of coach at Cremonese. Out Massimiliano Alvini, in Davide Ballardini.
Since taking over at the midway point of the season, the experienced tactician, who has become a specialist in successful relegation battles, has transformed the Grigiorossi's return to the top flight . In fact, considering only the second half of this championship, Cremonese would be out of the relegation zone on the back of their 16 points from 15 games - four points more than the third from last over the same period, Lecce, who have played a game more.
That said, Cremonese have earned 24 points so far in the league and since season 2004/05, of the 20 teams with 24 or fewer points with four games left to play, not a single one has beaten the drop. Although still six points from safety, momentum is with the club from Lombardy, who have lost just one of their last seven outings in league and cup combined, winning three, most recently a relegation head-to-head against Spezia.
What's more, in the midweek match before defeating Spezia, Ballardini's side were a handful of minutes away from claiming a memorable win at San Siro against Milan. Of the 17 points Cremonese have lost from a leading position, 12 have come away - an aspect worth considering when they visit the Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
KEEP AN EYE ON...
Despite becoming first-choice at Cremonese only from matchday 10 onwards, Marco Carnesecchi is fulfilling his promise as one of the latest talents in a long line of goalkeepers from the vaunted Italian school of portieri.
At his first full season at La Cremo after arriving on loan from Atalanta in January last season, the 22-year-old is the goalkeeper that has made the most saves in 2023 in Europe's top-five leagues.
The Italy Under 21 captain has kept three clean sheets in his last six matches, including the goalless draw in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final at Fiorentina, which saw Cremonese bow out of the tournament having defeated Napoli and Roma on their way to the last four.
