January 18, (THEWILL) – Cremonese and Napoli faced off in a Coppa Italia match, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw and 10-man Cremonese defeating the I Partenopei in the ensuing penalty shootout.
Despite Napoli starting on the back foot by going behind in the 18th minute, they rallied and quickfire goals from Juan Jesus and Giovanni Simeone in the 33rd and 36th minutes put them in control especially in midfield. However, Cremonese did not back away. Instead, at every opportunity, they tried to surprise Napoli’s defence.
Cremonese made several changes in the second half to try and draw level including a 65th minute change that brought in Felix Afena-Gyan, whose goal, three minutes from time effectively turned the tide in Cremonese’s favour. The match was filled with yellow cards and even a red card for Cremonese’s Leonardo Sernicola, adding to the drama of the match.
With no other goals before the final whistle at the end of extra time, the match had to be decided by penalty shootout. The visitors successfully converted all five of their penalties, while Napoli’s Stanislav Lobotska missed his, giving Cremonese the win and progress in the Cup competition.
In the end, Cremonese’s persistence paid off and they advanced, instead of Napoli, to the next round of the Coppa Italia.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
