AS Roma strengthened their grip on a top-four Serie A spot with a commanding 3-0 home win over Cremonese, extending the newly-promoted side’s league winless streak to 12 games (D4, L8).
Roma, who had already won all four of their previous Serie A encounters against promoted teams this season, started brightly, dominating possession in the opening exchanges.
Despite their early control, clear chances were scarce, with Cremonese defender Sebastiano Luperto narrowly heading wide from close range in a tense moment for his side.
The home team intensified their pressure after a cautious first half-hour. Gianluca Mancini came agonizingly close to opening the scoring when his header from Bryan Zaragoza’s delivery rattled the crossbar.
Roma, seeking to build momentum after winning just one of their last five matches (D3, L1), continued to probe, but Cremonese’s defence held firm as the teams went into halftime level.
The second half mirrored the first, with Roma quickly asserting control. Donyell Malen tested Emil Audero early on, but the goalkeeper made a strong near-post save.
However, the breakthrough came just before the hour mark: Lorenzo Pellegrini’s corner was expertly met by Bryan Cristante, who headed Roma into the lead.
Galvanized by the opener, Roma pressed for more. Audero denied Evan Ndicka, while Malen squandered a good opportunity inside the box.
The hosts finally doubled their advantage in the 77th minute when Ndicka converted Cristante’s flick from Neil El Aynaoui’s corner, marking the Ivorian defender’s first Serie A goal.
Roma rounded off the scoring late when substitute Niccolò Pisilli fired a stylish first-time effort into the far corner, sealing a comprehensive victory.
The win moves Roma level on points with third-placed Napoli, while Cremonese remain just three points above the relegation zone and have found the net in only two of their last 12 matches.
