Key Takeaways:
- Cremonese earned a 1-0 victory over Udinese but remain one point behind Lecce in the fight for Serie A safety heading into the final day
- Jamie Vardy scored his second consecutive opening goal in just nine minutes, marking four of his last five goals inside 35 minutes
- Cremonese achieved their first Serie A head-to-head win against Udinese in 41 years
Match Analysis
Cremonese entered the fixture against mid-table Udinese buoyed by momentum following last week’s emphatic 3-0 triumph over Pisa. The visitors carried their confident approach into the match, immediately pressing for an advantage.
The breakthrough arrived in the ninth minute as Jamie Vardy once again demonstrated his predatory instincts. After Federico Bonazzoli’s shot was parried by Maduka Okoye, Vardy coolly followed up to convert the rebound. Remarkably, this marked the 39-year-old’s second consecutive match opener and meant that four of his last five goals have been registered within the first 35 minutes of play.
FULL TIME
🏆 Serie A Enilive
Udinese-Cremonese 0️⃣-1⃣
⌛🔚 La rete di Vardy decide la sfida di Udine 🩶❤️#TuttaUnAltraMusica #SerieAEnilive #UdiCre #UdineseCremonese pic.twitter.com/aKjw4Gblqi— U.S. Cremonese (@USCremonese) May 17, 2026
Key Incidents and VAR Decisions
Udinese failed to find any rhythm in the first half, and their frustrations deepened following a contentious sequence. When Sebastiano Luperto was penalised for a foul on Christian Kabasele, the home side were granted a penalty. However, VAR intervened and overturned the decision due to an offside in the build-up.
After the restart, Udinese showed greater purpose, yet they continued to struggle in creating clear chances. Cremonese’s defensive unit exhibited signs of nervousness as the hosts intensified their pursuit of an equaliser.
Controversy erupted when Hassane Kamara was initially shown a red card for a high challenge on Jamie Vardy after a 50-50 challenge. Upon review, the referee reversed the decision, issuing a yellow card instead, which allowed Udinese to maintain a full complement of players.
Marco Giampaolo’s men then steadied the ship and appeared to find a foothold. Nevertheless, Udinese had a potential equaliser from Adam Buksa ruled out for fouls in the build-up. Late on, Udinese’s Oumar Solet unleashed a long-range attempt that required sharp saving from Cremonese goalkeeper Emil Audero to preserve the visitors’ lead.
Statistics and Standings Impact
Cremonese’s defence withstood the late Udinese pressure to register their first top-flight victory against the Friulians in 41 years. However, a late goal for Lecce against Sassuolo ensured that Cremonese remain a point from safety as they approach the decisive final day fixture against UEFA Champions League hopefuls Como.
For Udinese, the defeat meant they missed the opportunity to overtake Lazio in the table, with their record now standing at only three victories from ten home games against clubs ranked below them this season.
| Team | Score | Goal scorer |
|---|---|---|
| Udinese | 0 | — |
| Cremonese | 1 | Jamie Vardy (9′) |
