Serie A | Cremonese 0-0 Genoa: No dividing relegation battlers
Cremonese and Genoa were locked together going into this weekend, and remain in the same position after a goalless draw that saw Federico Bonazzoli hit the crossbar in stoppages.
Both teams were hovering perilously above the drop zone on 23 points going into this clash. The hosts had started the season so well, but scraped just three draws in the last 10 rounds, scoring one goal in five. Warren Bondo, Federico Ceccherini, Michele Collocolo and Mikayil Faye missed out, while Morten Thorsby faced his former club. Genoa were furious after back-to-back controversial last-gasp penalty defeats to Lazio and Napoli.
See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.
Jamie Vardy’s cheeky back-heel flick was smothered, while at the other end a Junior Messias strike was fingertipped over the bar and Emil Audero at full stretch pushed a Vitinha curler round the post.
Milan Djuric’s header was straight at Justin Bijlow, but Audero got down rapidly for a sensational save to push the Brooke Norton-Cuffy angled drive round the far post from 12 yards.
Djuric also saw his acrobatic effort whistle just past Filippo Terracciano at the back post, while Justin Bijlow smothered a Thorsby header.
Genoa started to pour forward after the restart, as Vitinha’s strike was deflected, then Messias hit the side-netting under pressure from Federico Baschirotto.
Djuric’s looping header was inches wide on a Giuseppe Pezzella cross, while Caleb Ekuban drilled onto the side-netting and Alberto Grassi’s volley on the edge of the area was well smothered.
Ekuban turned a header inches over from eight yards on a corner, but it was Cremonese who so nearly won it with the last kick of the game when Bonazzoli’s left-foot strike thumped the frame of the goal.