A red card for Mourinho and an embarrassing Roma loss in Cremonese

Jose Mourinho and his men used the opportunity given to them by the Juventus punishment and moved into the Champions League contention. Then they used Inter’s and Milan’s drop in form to get closer to them and finally got the opportunity they wanted – to level on points with them on Matchday 24. All they needed to do was to win in Cremoneze, against the dead last Serie A team. But it was obviously too much to ask, because Roma embarrassed themselves and allowed the hosts to record their first win of the entire season (and the first one in Serie A since 1996): Cremonese – Roma 2-1!

The Giallorossi complicated things for themselves and unnecessarily brought the pressure up ahead of the home game against Juventus on Sunday. And they will host the Torino giant without Jose Mourinho, who managed to get another red card in this match, after a needless argument with the fourth referee over a silly tackle. He should have been more concentrated on the performances of his team instead, since they played terrible, without any ideas, without chances, without a will to get level with Inter and Milan. The guests made their first shot on target after an hour, and scored only due to a terrible mistake by Cremonese defense. But Roma’s defense made one mistake more, and it was enough for the final 2-1 win for the hosts.

The game basically started with the hosts scoring, after a brief 15 minutes warm-up between the teams. Valeri used his chest to knock down a ball over the top for Tsadjout, who smashed it into the roof of the net on the half-volley from outside the box: 1-0. Roma looked as pale as they did before the goal. The guests just couldn’t put together more than 10 passes without being out possessed. Paolo Dybala looked disconnected from the rest of the squad and Georginio Wijnaldum finally started a game for Roma, but didn’t shine after such a long break.

Just as the second half started, Mourinho protested with the fourth referee and got the red card. He made a series of changes from the stands, and finally, his team scored an equalizer when the hosts allowed left back Spinazzola to come to the front of the goal untouched and score a goal with his right foot. But luckily for them, Roma defenders were there to make one mistake more, as Rui Patricio brought down Okereke in the penalty area, allowing Cremoneze a first Serie A win after 27 years.

SERIE A - ROUND 24

Saturday

Empoli - Napoli 0-2 (0-2)

/Ismajli 17, Osimhen 28/

Lecce - Sassuolo 0-1 (0-0)

/Thorsvedt 65/

Sunday

Bologna - Inter 1-0 (0-0)

/Orsolini 76/

Salernitana - Monza 3-0 (0-0)

/Coulibaly 52, Kastanos 65, Candreva 71/

Udinese - Spezia 2-2 (1-1)

/Beto 22, Pereyra 55 - Nzola 6, 72/

AC Milan - Atalanta 2-0 (1-0)

/Musso 25 og, Messias 86/

Monday

Verona - Fiorentina 0-3 (0-2)

/Barak 12, Cabral 38, Biraghi 89/

Lazio - Sampdoria 1-0 (0-0)

/Luis Alberto 80/

Tuesday

Cremonese - Roma 2-1 (1-0)

/Tsadjout 17, Ciofani (p) 83 - Spinazzola 71/

22:45: (1.82) Juventus (3.60) Torino (5.00)

***odds are subject to change**