Serie A | Cremonese 0-2 Napoli: Hojlund happy ending to 2025
Rasmus Hojlund was clinical with both goals as Napoli conquered Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese to end 2025 on a high.
A spirited victory on the road helped Napoli quickly banish the memory of their recent Serie A stumble. Fresh off claiming the Supercoppa Italiana in Riyadh, the Partenopei showed no signs of a celebratory hangover, securing a commanding win despite navigating a lengthy injury list.
The hosts faced their own selection headaches, missing key figures, though the return of Martin Payero and a masked Matteo Bianchetti offered some relief. Napoli, however, had momentum on their side.
After an early Filippo Terracciano attempt was handled by Vanja Milinković-Savić, the deadlock was broken in fortuitous fashion. Leonardo Spinazzola’s strike from the edge of the box took a heavy deflection, falling perfectly for the alert Rasmus Højlund to slot home from close range. The Danish striker, whose Serie A tally now surpasses his entire Premier League haul from last season, was just getting started.
The home side squandered a golden chance to level when Bianchetti volleyed over unmarked, and Emil Audero later stood tall to deny Højlund in a one-on-one duel. Napoli-loanee Alessio Zerbin saw penalty claims waved away after a tangle with Amir Rrahmani, and Martin Payero found his path to goal blocked as the hosts pressed.
Just before the halftime whistle, Napoli delivered a decisive blow. Zerbin’s partial interception fell kindly, allowing Matteo Politano to drive into the box. His cross was knocked down into the danger zone, where Højlund was once again the predator, firing in his second from six yards.
After the break, the Dane nearly secured his hat-trick, rattling the side-netting from a Scott McTominay pass. Napoli continued to control the tempo, with Rrahmani’s header skimming the crossbar and Audero proving decisive in goal. The keeper made a superb parry to deny a powerful McTominay drive, though Højlund could only blaze the rebound over with the goal gaping.
Audero was called into action again late on, tipping another McTominay rocket around the post, before Warren Bondo’s last-gasp effort whistled over the bar. The final whistle confirmed a vital and professionally executed victory for Napoli, who continue their pursuit at the summit of Serie A.
