Preview: Cremonese vs. Como - prediction, team news, lineups

Cremonese host Champions League hopefuls Como at Stadio Giovanni Zini on the final day of this Serie A season, knowing they must avoid defeat to have any chance of staying in the top flight.

The two clubs from the Lombardy region tussle on Sunday, chasing different targets: La Cremo are seeking to leapfrog Lecce in the battle for survival, while Cesc Fabregas’s men could still end a commendable season by securing a Champions League berth.

Match preview

Without a doubt, Cremonese have taken advantage of facing Pisa and Udinese when both sides had little riding on gameweeks 36 and 37: the former’s relegation from Serie A was decided weeks ago, and the 10th-placed Udine outfit can finish neither above ninth nor below 11th.

Nevertheless, exploiting the bottom-placed club’s two red cards and Udinese having little to play for to secure 3-0 and 1-0 victories was timely for La Cremo, who have now won three matches under Marco Giampaolo, equalling their number of triumphs in the previous 27 league games.

A week after recording back-to-back league wins for the first time since December, the hosts now look to make history by securing three straight top-flight wins in the same season for the first time in the current millennium, even if they began this season with wins over Milan and Sassuolo after claiming maximum points on the final day in June 2023 against Salernitana before dropping to Serie B.

Indeed, this emphasises the uphill challenge presented to Giampaolo’s men, who could live to fight another day by claiming a point against their high-flying Lombardy foes.

With one point separating Cremonese from 17th-placed Lecce, the Violini holding Como to a draw and Lupi losing at home to Genoa would see both teams finish level on points, leading to a one-off match at a neutral venue.

The best-case scenario, though, would be stunning Como and seeing Lecce slip up against Genoa to keep Cremonese in the division for consecutive years, a feat not achieved since La Cremona were top-flight competitors between 1993-94 and 1995-96.

Fabregas’s team will be in no mood to do the Violini any favours, given the possibility of involvement in next season’s Champions League.

The fifth-placed Lariani’s fate may be out of their hands, but with only two points separating them from Milan and Roma — both teams have 70 points — they are primed to take advantage of any final-day mistakes made by the Rossoneri or the Giallorossi.

Como, first and foremost, need to take care of business at Stadio Zini and then hope for a Milan loss against Cagliari at San Siro, Roma failing to defeat relegated Hellas Verona at the Bentegodi or both scenarios playing out.

The Lariani, for their part, can be trusted to get the better of Sunday’s opponents, especially considering that their 41 points accrued in 2026 are bettered only by champions Inter Milan (50), while four consecutive clean sheets have seen Fabregas’s team return to basics after their April wobble.

Since failing to win three league games in a row and securing one point during that period, the Biancoblu have prevented Genoa (2-0), Napoli (0-0), Verona (1-0) and Parma (1-0) from scoring, taking them to 19 shutouts this term — no other side has as many.

Europa League football next season will be welcomed with open arms, but Como’s season could end on a significantly higher note if they somehow pip Milan or Roma to a place among Europe’s elite sides next term.

Cremonese Serie A form:

Como Serie A form:

Como form (all competitions):

Team News

With Federico Baschirotto still missing due to a thigh injury, Cremonese could be unchanged against Como, although Faris Moumbagna (muscle) and Warren Bondo (muscle) will be assessed ahead of Sunday’s pivotal fixture.

Having previously failed to score since January, Jamie Vardy has netted game-opening and match-deciding goals in consecutive rounds against Pisa and Udinese, and the veteran forward bids to score in three league games on the trot for the first time since April 2024 at Leicester City.

The seven-goal ex-Leicester man is unlikely to catch Federico Bonazzoli, who has scored in two of the previous three league games, taking him to nine Serie A strikes ahead of the final round.

Nico Paz is likely to miss Como’s final match of the season as he nurses a knee issue that is reportedly causing a rift between Como and the Argentina national team.

Potentially without their most talented player, who has scored 12 and set up six, the Lariani will lean on 13-goal forward Anastasios Douvikas and Jesus Rodriguez, on eight assists, to take responsibility.

While ever-presents Jean Butez and Douvikas should play from the off, Jayden Addai (knee) and Alex Valle (muscle) should join Paz on the treatment table.

Cremonese possible starting lineup:

Audero; Terracciano, Bianchetti, Luperto; Barbieri, Thorsby, Grassi, Maleh, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, Vardy

Como possible starting lineup:

Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Moreno; Perrone, Da Cunha; Diao, Baturina, Rodriguez; Douvikas

We say: Cremonese 0-1 Como

Cremonese’s recent resurgence should ensure Sunday's final-day encounter is far more competitive than the table may suggest, but Como’s defensive solidity and greater attacking composure could prove decisive in sealing another narrow victory for Fabregas’s side.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.