AS Roma and Cremonese will meet on Wednesday, February 1, from 22:00, in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. The Capitolines seem to have a clear path to the final after Napoli and Milan were eliminated from their half in the very first round in which they entered the competition.
ROMA TRYING TO RECOVER AFTER THE DEFEAT IN DERBY DEL SOLE
AS Roma started very well this year, with four wins, all without conceding a goal in the first five games played. In classic Jose Mourinho style, the capitolins beat Bologna 1-0, Fiorentina 2-0 and Spezia 2-0 in Serie A and, in the previous round of the Coppa Italia, they went 1 -0 by Genoa, from Serie B. The only match in which he failed to impose himself was the one with Milan, at the San Siro, but the 2-2 result was an excellent one, considering the way the game was played, one controlled by the Rossoneri, who led 2-0 until the end.
Roma’s invincibility disappeared the moment they played against leaders Napoli. On Sunday came the defeat for the Giallorossi, at Stadio Maradona, 1-2. And in this confrontation, Jose Mourinho’s team was very close to getting something, but Simeone’s goal at the end made the “wolves” stay out of the Champions zone, in sixth place, one point behind the trio- of Lazio, Atalanta and Milan.
Involved in the fight for the Top 4, but also active in the Europa League, Roma should also look with interest towards the Coppa Italia, the competition in which they have the best chance of winning a trophy this season. That’s why Mourinho could once again go hand in hand with most of the starters. Of course, without Wijnaldum, still injured, but also without Zaniolo, whose situation remains uncertain.
CREMONESE IS TRYING ANOTHER SURPRISE!
In the previous round of the Coppa Italia, Cremonese managed to knock out the Serie A leaders in what will probably go down as the competition’s biggest surprise this season. At the Stadio Maradona, Napoli were leading but managed to turn the score around by half-time. However, it was equalized in the 87th minute, after which it failed to score again, although it played with an extra man in 20 minutes of the 30 overtimes. Then, on penalties, Cremonese prevailed with 5-4, after all the men of Davide Ballardini, who then debuted on the bench of the Grigiorossi, converted, and, from Spalletti’s camp, Lobotka missed.
After getting past Napoli, the team from Cremona also behaved decently in the championship, where they drew 1-1 at Bologna, and on Saturday, they were close to choosing something from the duel with Inter. He led 1-0, but Lautaro Martinez’s “double” brought all the points for the Nerazzurri. Cremonese seems doomed to relegation, having only eight points, all obtained from draws, ten less than the first team across the line, Spezia.
The match with Napoli in the Coppa Italia was not the only good game of the Grigiorossi this season, when they had a top line-up in front of them. Before tormenting Inter, Cremonese, in Serie A, also held firm against Milan and Atalanta, with whom they took one point each, but also with Roma or Juventus, against whom they lost narrowly. That’s why we expect a solid reply on Wednesday, at the Olimpico, from the side newly promoted to Serie A. Ballardini will, more than likely, bet on the best he currently has. In fact, there is only one important man missing, the Georgian Lochoshvili, something that will more than likely lead to Chiricheș starting in defence.
