Chris Smalling scored the only goal to give Roma a hard-fought victory over Cremonese, with both sides rattling the woodwork, but Nicolò Zaniolo was stretchered off with a shoulder injury.
The Giallorossi warmed up wearing Georginio Wijnaldum’s shirt after he fractured his tibia during last night’s training session, but the same XI that beat Salernitana 1-0 was chosen. Cremonese made numerous changes from their 3-2 defeat to Fiorentina, giving Emanuel Aiwu, Luka Lochosvili and Santiago Asacibar their first starts, with Gonzalo Escalante suspended.
Ionut Radu made a desperate save in the opening couple of minutes on Lorenzo Pellegrini at the back post, as Tammy Abraham had rolled across the face of goal after a Nicolò Zaniolo run.
Abraham thought he’d scored on a Paulo Dybala assist, but was somehow denied by Emanuele Valeri practically on the line.
Radu needed a double save on both Zaniolo’s strike and the volleyed Dybala rebound, then Leonardo Spinazzola turned over from Rick Karsdorp’s assist.
Roma were very dangerous on the counter, but it was Cremonese who tried to keep possession and push into the opposition half. They threatened too, Cyriel Dessers seeing his acrobatic bicycle-kick whistle inches wide of the upright.
There was a blow for the hosts on the stroke of half-time when Zaniolo was tackled cleanly by Lochosvhili, but fell awkwardly and seemed to dislocate his shoulder. After several minutes of treatment, the Italy international was stretchered off.
Cremonese had a huge chance straight after the restart, as Dessers controlled a long ball over the top, held off Gianluca Mancini and the half-volley thumped the crossbar with Rui Patricio beaten.
Roma were also kept out by the woodwork, but on this occasion it was Radu who sensationally managed to fingertip the Stephan El Shaarawy strike onto the crossbar.
Another Dessers bicycle-kick was off target, but it was Roma who broke through when Lorenzo Pellegrini floated a free kick to the back post for the Smalling free header. The defender celebrated by holding up Wijnaldum’s jersey on the touchline.
Rui Patricio flew to palm a sudden Lochoshvili dipping strike out from under the bar, while Radu got his glove to a Tammy Abraham low drive and Cristian Buonaiuto’s free kick skimmed the woodwork.
Cremonese almost equalised in the final minute, as Charles Pickel from the edge of the box unleashed a control and volley that clipped the outside of the upright.
Roma 1-0 Cremonese
Smalling 65 (R)