Roma answer Napoli’s win with a convincing 3–1 triumph at the Zini, reclaiming top spot in Serie A. Soulé opens, Ferguson nets his first goal in Italy, and Wesley seals it. Late consolation for Cremonese through Folino.
Roma keep flying high. Gasperini’s side returned to the summit of Serie A with a 3–1 away victory over Cremonese, led by a stellar Soulé and the long-awaited first goal from Evan Ferguson. The only blemish? Gasperini’s sending off for dissent in the second half — though it didn’t spoil another commanding display from the Giallorossi.
Cremonese actually started on the front foot, testing Svilar early through Bonazzoli, but the Roma goalkeeper confirmed his excellent form with a superb save. From there, Roma’s quality gradually took over. Soulé broke the deadlock after 17 minutes with a beautiful left-foot curler from the edge of the area that left Audero rooted to the spot.
Pellegrini saw a second goal ruled out for offside, while Svilar pulled off another key stop on Vandeputte. Just before halftime, Cremonese briefly thought they had a penalty for a handball by Mancini, but VAR overturned the decision.
At halftime, Gasperini made a bold tactical call, substituting a struggling Ziolkowski for El Aynaoui and dropping Cristante into defense. The move paid off. Despite Gasperini’s dismissal shortly after, El Aynaoui provided the assist for Ferguson, who pounced amid a goalmouth scramble to score his first goal in Serie A — his first at club level since October 2024.
Roma’s dominance grew as El Shaarawy came off the bench to assist Wesley for the third goal, a well-placed finish that killed the game. In stoppage time, Cremonese reduced the deficit through Folino’s header, but the points were already safe.
Roma’s win sends another strong message in the Scudetto race — their balance, depth, and confidence continue to grow.
Player Ratings
Cremonese
Audero (6): mixed night, good saves but beaten three times.
Baschirotto (6): tried to hold the line under pressure.
Vardy (5): ineffective, never a threat.
Vandeputte (6): the only spark in midfield, created a few good situations.
Defensive wings struggled to contain Roma’s tempo.
CREMONESE (3-5-2): Audero 6; Terracciano 5, Baschirotto 6, Bianchetti 5 (80’ Folino 6.5); Barbieri 5.5, Payero 5.5 (57’ Vazquez 6), Bondo 5.5, Vandeputte 6 (70’ Grassi 6), Floriani Mussolini 5.5 (57’ Pezzella 5); Bonazzoli 6 (80’ Sanabria n/r), Vardy 5.
Coach: Nicola
Roma
Soulé (7): magnificent strike and creative throughout — pure class.
Wesley (7): dynamic on the left, capped off a great performance with a goal.
Ferguson (7): off the mark in Italy, showing determination and presence.
Baldanzi (6.5): lively as a false nine.
Svilar (7): decisive saves early, always alert.
Ziolkowski (5): struggled badly before being subbed at halftime.
El Shaarawy (6.5): another impactful cameo with an assist.
ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar 7; Ziolkowski 5 (46’ El Aynaoui 6.5), Mancini 6, Ndicka 6.5; Celik 6.5, Cristante 6.5, Koné 6.5, Wesley 7 (80’ Tsimikas n/r); Soulé 7 (85’ Pisilli n/r), Pellegrini 6 (60’ Ferguson 7); Baldanzi 6.5 (60’ El Shaarawy 6.5).
Coach: Gasperini
Match Report
Serie A – Matchday 12
Venue: Stadio Giovanni Zini (Cremona)
Scorers: 17’ Soulé (ROM), 64’ Ferguson (ROM), 69’ Wesley (ROM), 90+3’ Folino (CRE)
Referee: Ayroldi
Bookings: Payero (CRE), Ziolkowski (ROM), Bondo (CRE), El Aynaoui (ROM)
Sent off: Gasperini (ROM, 62’) for dissent
