Key Facts
- Inter travel as league leaders (52 points, +31) and can put noticeable pressure on Milan (five points behind, later in the matchday).
- Cremonese are stuck after nine league games without a win; with only two goals from their last five games and five games without scoring after the break, they lack punch.
- In terms of personnel, Cremonese are particularly affected by the suspension of Barbieri and Payero’s midfield absence; Inter are missing Barella, Çalhanoğlu and Dumfries, while Bastoni and Martínez are likely to return.
- The head-to-head record clearly favors Inter: three consecutive Serie A wins, with Cremonese conceding at least two goals each time; all matches have seen over 2.5 goals, despite Cremonese scoring.
- Betting perspective: Inter are clear away favorites at odds of 1.3, so special bets make sense—Cremonese has failed to score five times in a row after the break, which supports “Both teams to score: No.”
Nine league games without a win, Barbieri suspended and Payero injured—and now, of all times, the league leaders are coming to the Stadio Giovanni Zini. In Serie A, Round 23, Cremonese hosts Inter Milan on Sunday (kickoff 5:00 p.m. UTC), and Davide Nicola is looking for a lever to stop the downward trend against Cristian Chivu’s team. Inter are top of the table with 52 points and a goal difference of +31, while Cremonese are 13th with 23 points – two behind Cagliari and level on points with Parma. The two sides last met in October, when Inter won 4-1 in Milan, and Inter have won all three Serie A encounters between the two sides. Added to this is Inter’s momentum from the Champions League: they won 2-0 in Dortmund with late goals from Dimarco and Diouf, and Bastoni and Martínez are likely to return after being rested. Barella is out, while Dumfries and Çalhanoğlu remain sidelined. Cremonese will be without Barbieri, who is suspended, and Payero is doubtful, but Djuric has joined the squad. With Milan five points behind and playing later in this round, Inter can put noticeable pressure on the top of the table, even with a Champions League playoff against Bodo/Glimt looming.
- Venue: Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremona
- Date and time: February 1, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 23)
Chivu can bring Bastoni and Lautaro back into the lineup after the 2-0 win in Dortmund, and the rotation suggests that Inter can pick up the pace after the break against a Cremonese team that has been waiting for a win for nine games, is missing the suspended Barbieri, and has failed to score in five games after the break. This supports Both teams to score: No – and, thanks to Inter’s late surge, Over 2.5.
Cremonese Form & Record Check
Cremonese continues its search for a league win in Round 23, with its last five matches ending in a 1-0 loss to Sassuolo, a 0-0 draw with Verona, Juventus 5-0, Cagliari 2-2, and Fiorentina 1-0. The draw against Cagliari showed fighting spirit and moments of incisiveness, but too often the team’s stability falls apart after decent phases, especially away from home, where lapses in concentration have been consistently punished. The goalless game against Verona was defensively solid but harmless going forward. At Sassuolo, the tone was set early on with a goal conceded in the third minute after Grassi lost possession, followed by too much chasing. Nicola tried to change the picture, first with Zerbin after Collocolo’s substitution, then with the switch to a back four with Johnsen, but the response lacked bite. Vardy had a decent chance early on, and Bonazzoli’s late effort was weak, a familiar problem in the second half. In Serie A terms, however, the pattern is still uncomfortable, with no wins in the last five games, no goals after the break in that period, and goals conceded in four of those games. The table is increasing the pressure, with Cremonese in 13th place with 23 points, level with Parma below them and only two points behind Cagliari above them, leaving little room for complacency. Barbieri’s suspension and Payero’s absence don’t help, while Djuric’s signing could now provide a more direct outlet with Vázquez no longer available.
Nicola is expected to stick with his basic formation of three center backs, five in midfield, and two strikers, with Audero behind Terracciano, Baschirotto, and Bianchetti. Floriani Mussolini and Pezzella will provide width, while Vandeputte will link the midfield with the two strikers. Up front, the prediction sees Vardy alongside Bonazzoli, a duo that favors quick transitions rather than long periods of possession. An important caveat concerns the midfield. Payero is out of the squad due to muscle fatigue and Barbieri is suspended, so the prediction is for Collocolo and Grassi to dictate the tempo, with Grassi expected to cover the back three. Collocolo had to be substituted due to injury last time out, so Zerbin or Bondo could be the alternatives if he is not fit in time.
Inter Form & Record Check
Inter come to Cremona in league form that continues to signal control. Three consecutive Serie A wins, 1-0 at Udinese, 6-2 against Pisa, and then 1-0 against Lecce, keep them at the top with 52 points, five ahead of AC Milan. The pattern is familiar, they consistently find goals and rarely share points, even if occasional defensive lapses occur as games open up. In all competitions, the 2-0 win in Dortmund in the Champions League was a useful reset after the 3-1 home defeat to Arsenal. It wasn’t a dominant evening, chances were few and far between and the breakthrough came late, but the defensive spacing was tighter and Dimarco’s quality from set pieces decided the game before Diouf put the icing on the cake. Chivu will take away such a pragmatic European performance. In the league, however, the game against Pisa was exciting and somewhat messy. Six goals at home showed how well Thuram and Lautaro can overwhelm teams when Inter pushes the full-backs high up the pitch, but at the same time, the two goals conceded pointed to gaps in the rest of the defense and in the transition phases. With Dumfries still out of action and Çalhanoğlu and Barella missing, the balance depends heavily on Frattesi and Zieliński, and disciplined minute management is also required.
Inter Milan are expected to stick with Chivu’s familiar formation of three center backs, five midfielders, and two strikers, with Sommer behind a back three of Bisseck, Acerbi, and Bastoni. Darmian and Dimarco should provide width, with Sučić, Zieliński, and Mkhitaryan rotating between carrying the ball forward and making late runs. Up front, Thuram’s work in the channels could open up space for Martínez, while Dimarco remains the set-piece specialist. In possession, Bastoni’s left foot should drive transitions towards Dimarco. This is just a prediction, but injuries are almost forcing the decisions. Dumfries is out after ankle surgery, so Darmian appears to be the most likely right wingback. In midfield, Barella’s thigh problem and Çalhanoğlu’s calf problem take away a lot of pace and control, pushing Sučić into the starting lineup and requiring Zieliński to dictate more of the build-up play. Frattesi and Diouf are the main alternatives if fresh legs are needed.
Cremonese – Inter Head-to-Head & Statistics
The last three league matches all went to Inter Milan, 4-1 in October 2025, 2-1 in 2023 and 3-1 in 2022. In this small sample, Inter scored 9 and conceded 3, so the balance of chances shifted in their favor throughout, even though Cremonese contributed a goal. All three games exceeded 2.5 goals, with a total of 12, suggesting a reliably open encounter. There is thus a clear series of three Inter wins and, equally remarkably, a series of three in which Cremonese scored but still lost. Conceding goals has been a constant, with Cremonese conceding at least two goals each time. The early pattern is also striking, with the first half producing over 1.5 goals in all three games. Inter also scored in both halves each time. Such a rhythm often arises from Inter setting the pace early on, but this time personnel changes could shake things up. Dumfries is out, while Çalhanoğlu and Barella are listed as absent, which could reduce the usual control and quality of ball distribution. For Cremonese, Payero’s muscle problem could limit the balance in midfield, so protecting the defense in the first half hour will be crucial. Historically, games tend to stretch out once Inter takes the lead.
