Cremonese came back twice from a goal down and eventually snatched a thrilling 3-2 win in stoppages with Leonardo Sernicola’s curler, sending Sampdoria to last place.
This really was the Last Chance Saloon, a head-to-head between the bottom two, who were already at least 10 points adrift of safety going into the weekend. Samp had Jeison Murillo suspended, with Emil Audero, Ignacio Pussetto, Koray Gunter and Andrea Conti injured. Cremonese were in last place and lost the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final to Fiorentina midweek. David Okereke, Vlad Chiriches and Alex Ferrari didn’t make the trip.
It was an aggressive start from the hosts, Medhi Leris testing Marco Carnesecchi, and it was Leris who got his head to a Tommaso Augello cross to score from eight yards.
Michele Castagnetti charged down a Harry Winks effort and Alessandro Zanoli was denied by Carnesecchi at the near post when he should’ve pulled it back for Michael Cuisance.
Paolo Ghiglione just failed with a diving header to connect with the Bianchetti knockdown at the back post, but did score the equaliser for Cremonese soon after.
Giacomo Quagliata’s cross from the left found Ghiglione for a volley into the ground that bounced up and looped under the crossbar, as the Harry Winks clearance was too late.
Milan Djuricic tested Carnesecchi and Cyriel Dessers flashed a dangerous effort across the face of goal, while Carnesecchi was alert after Augello had sent a defender to ground with his smart dummy.
Carnesecchi also rushed out to deny Djuricic after the offside trap failed, while the striker had penalty appeals waved away, as the Cremonese defender did get to the ball first.
Zanoli blasted wide after a strong run and Samp restored their lead with another assist from Augello, this time Sam Lammers soaring for the glancing header from seven yards. It was the ex-Atalanta striker’s first Serie A goal for the Blucerchiati.
Cremonese never gave up and grabbed another equaliser at Marassi, as Cyriel Dessers managed to pull the ball back from the by-line down the right and defender Luka Lochoshvili was ready to cushion it into the net with his chest from point-blank range.
Just as they seemed to be stuck with a point each that helps nobody, Cremonese turned the game around deep into stoppages. Felix Afena-Gyan smashed the first attempt onto the near post, but the move continued and Sernicola curled a stunning finish in off the inside of the far post.
Sampdoria 2-3 Cremonese
Leris 15 (S), Ghiglione 35 (C), Lammers 66 (S), Lochoshvili 85 (C), Sernicola 95 (C)
Player statistic
| Mehdi Léris (Assist: Tommaso Augello) |
 |
15' | ||
| 35' | |
Paolo Ghiglione (Assist: Giacomo Quagliata) | ||
| 37' |  |
Matteo Bianchetti |
| Sam Lammers (Assist: Tommaso Augello) |
|
66' | ||
| 85' | |
Luka Lochoshvili (Assist: Cyriel Dessers) | ||
| Mehdi Léris | |
89' | ||
| Marios Ikonomou | |
90+7' | ||
| 90+5' | |
Leonardo Sernicola | ||
| 90+7' | |
Felix Afena-Gyan |
Match statistic
