Cremonese 1-4 Como: Serie A 2025-26 match report

The final matchday of the 2025-26 Serie A season at the Stadio Giovanni Zini proved to be a chaotic affair, as Cremonese’s campaign concluded in a 1-4 defeat against a clinical Como side. While the contest began with the promise of a competitive season finale, the narrative was fundamentally altered within the opening five minutes, leaving Marco Giampaolo’s side with an insurmountable tactical and numerical disadvantage.

The opening

The match was effectively decided before it had truly begun. In a catastrophic start for the hosts, Cremonese saw two players—David Okereke and Milan Đurić—sent off in the fifth minute. The double dismissal forced Giampaolo into a defensive scramble, abandoning his 3-5-2 structure to prioritize damage limitation.

Cesc Fàbregas, managing a Como side that appeared composed despite the bizarre early circumstances, instructed his team to exploit the vast gaps in the Cremonese defensive line. The visitors controlled the tempo, forcing the hosts to retreat deep into their own half. The pressure eventually told in the 36th minute when Jesús Rodríguez found the back of the net, rewarding Como’s patience and numerical superiority. Despite a flurry of substitutions at the interval as Giampaolo attempted to inject energy into his depleted ranks, the gulf in quality and numbers remained too wide to bridge.

The decisive moment

The second half began with Como looking to put the result beyond doubt, and they succeeded shortly after the restart. In the 51st minute, Tassos Douvikas doubled the lead, converting a precise assist from Rodríguez. Although Federico Bonazzoli managed to pull one back for Cremonese from the penalty spot in the 55th minute, the glimmer of hope was fleeting.

The match descended into a disciplinary struggle, characterized by a high volume of cautions and a third red card for the hosts. In the 71st minute, Alberto Grassi was dismissed, reducing Cremonese to eight men. Lucas da Cunha capitalized on the ensuing penalty in the 74th minute to restore Como’s two-goal cushion, effectively ending any chance of a late comeback. Da Cunha added his second of the evening in the 81st minute, assisted by Maxence Caqueret, to finalize a comprehensive victory for the visitors. The closing stages were marked by a series of tactical substitutions from Fàbregas, who utilized his bench to manage the workload of his key personnel as the game reached its lopsided conclusion.

Looking ahead

For Como, the victory serves as a strong note on which to conclude their campaign, demonstrating the tactical discipline instilled by Fàbregas throughout the season. The ability to remain focused despite the early, unusual events at the Stadio Giovanni Zini highlights the growth of the squad as they look toward future European ambitions.

Conversely, the result leaves Cremonese with significant questions to address during the summer break. The disciplinary collapse on the final day was an outlier in terms of severity, but it underscored the fragility of the side’s composure under pressure throughout the 2025-26 term. Giampaolo will now face a challenging period of restructuring to ensure the squad is better equipped for the rigors of the upcoming season.