Cremonese vs Cittadella | Match Preview
On May 9, 2024 by Jake IovineMatch: Cremonese vs Cittadella – Serie BKT Matchday 38
Date: May 10, 2024 – 20:30 local (2:30pm EST)
Venue: Stadio Giovanni Zini – Cremona
Cittadella play Cremonese for the third time this season as the Granata close out their 2023/24 campaign at the Stadio Giovanni Zini.
Edoardo Gorini’s side were eliminated from entering the playoffs last weekend following a 1-1 home draw with Bari. Cremonese will be participating in the promotion playoffs as the Grigiorossi are locked into 4th place entering Friday’s match.
Despite having little to play for, Gorini will be trying to earn his highest finish as Cittadella head coach (11th) with a victory in Cremona.
“We are not going to Cremona to have a picnic, we need to end the season well,” Gorini said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “We have been in the play-off zone for most of the season, so I think it’s right to finish in a high position like 9th and not in 14th.”
The Grigiorossi‘s recent poor form has denied Giovanni Stroppa’s team a chance of automatic promotion. With just two wins in their last eight games, Cremonese will finish in 4th place regardless of the result on Friday, entering the semi-final round of the promotion playoffs.
Friday will be the third time this season that Cremonese and Cittadella face each other. Stroppa’s side came out victorious on both occasions this season, winning 1-2 at the Tombolato in the league, then knocking Cittadella out of the Coppa Italia four days later. The Granata have lost four straight games against Cremonese, with their last win coming in September 2020.
Cremonese striker Massimo Coda has been a headache for Cittadella in the past. The veteran striker has scored nine times against the Granata in his career and scored the winning goal in the 120th minute to put Cremonese into the Coppa Italia Round of 16.
Stroppa will be without midfielders Michele Collocolo and Charles Pickel, the latter of whom received a red card in Cremonese’s recent match against Parma. Gorini confirmed that Lorenzo Carissoni and Luca Pandolfi will miss the final trip of the season to Cremona due to injury.
PHOTO: Massimo Felicetti