AS Roma bolstered their Champions League hopes with a clinical 3-0 victory over Cremonese, as second-half goals from Cristante, Ndicka, and Pisilli overwhelmed the struggling visitors.
AS Roma strengthened their position in the Serie A top four following a masterful second-half performance against Cremonese.
Cristante, Ndicka e Pisilli ⚽️⚽️⚽️
La vinciamo noi con tre gol nel secondo tempo 🔚#RomaCremonese pic.twitter.com/DaS8oxsi5g
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) February 22, 2026
The 3-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico not only keeps Roma on track for elite European qualification but also extends a nightmare run for the visitors, who have now failed to find a win in 12 consecutive league matches.
The match began with Roma dictating the tempo, a trend consistent with their perfect record against newly-promoted teams this season. While they controlled the ball for long stretches, breaking through a compact Cremonese defense proved difficult in the early stages. The visitors nearly gifted Roma an opener when Sebastiano Luperto inadvertently glanced a header toward his own goal, but the ball drifted narrowly wide to keep the game scoreless.
As the first half progressed, the hosts began to turn their possession into genuine threats. The closest they came to a breakthrough was via Gianluca Mancini, who saw his powerful header rattle the crossbar following a dangerous delivery from Bryan Zaragoza.
Despite Roma’s persistent probing and several late corners before the interval, Cremonese’s backline held firm, sending both teams into the tunnel at a stalemate.
The momentum shifted decisively in Roma’s favor shortly after the restart. After Donyell Malen forced a smart save from Emil Audero, the pressure finally told in the 60th minute. Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini delivered a pinpoint corner that was met by Bryan Cristante, who powered a superb header home to break the deadlock. The goal visibly settled the hosts and forced Cremonese to abandon their defensive shape.
Roma refused to sit on their narrow lead and continued to hunt for a cushion as the clock ticked down. Emil Audero remained busy in the Cremonese goal, denying Evan Ndicka and watching a Malen effort whistle wide of the post. However, the Giallorossi’s persistence was rewarded in the 77th minute when another set-piece caused chaos. Cristante turned provider this time, flicking a Neil El Aynaoui corner into the path of Ndicka, who finished clinically for his first-ever Serie A goal.
The second goal effectively ended the match as a contest, but Roma managed to add further gloss to the scoreline in the closing moments. Substitute Niccolo Pisilli made an immediate impact, connecting with a first-time effort that swept beautifully into the far corner. The 3-0 scoreline accurately reflected Roma’s second-half superiority and their clinical edge when it mattered most.
The victory moves Roma level on points with third-placed Napoli, setting up a thrilling race for the podium in the final weeks of the season. In contrast, the situation is becoming increasingly dire for Cremonese. Sitting just three points above the relegation zone and struggling to find the net, they must find a way to break their winless streak quickly if they hope to maintain their top-flight status.
