De Bruyne scores in Napoli's dominant win over Cremonese, delaying Inter's title joy

Antonio Conte’s team was keen to bounce back after their initial home loss of the campaign in Serie A last weekend, putting Cremonese’s backline under immediate strain.

In the opening two minutes, the home side missed out on prime chances. First, Emil Audero pulled off a fine stop to thwart Scott McTominay, then Rasmus Højlund fired the ball just over the bar from an ideal spot.

Yet, Napoli broke the deadlock shortly after via McTominay’s superb 20-yard effort, marking his ninth Serie A strike this term.

The home team kept control as the opening period wore on, and it came as no shock when they extended their lead near the break, with Højlund’s deflected shot trickling into the far corner.

Things deteriorated further for Marco Giampaolo’s outfit before the half ended, as Napoli netted a third in quick succession.

McTominay cleverly controlled the ball to stop it from going out in acrobatic style, then Kevin De Bruyne robbed Youssef Maleh and slotted past Audero from near range, much to the fans’ excitement.

The victory was nearly assured only seven minutes after the restart, with the hosts claiming a fourth on a rapid break.

Alisson Santos picked up the ball from keeper Vanja Milinković-Savić deep in his own area, surged through Cremonese’s midfield, and smashed it in effortlessly, as if in practice.

With the match decided, the pressure stayed one-sided until the end. Audero made a superb stop on replacement Billy Gilmour, and Amir Rrahmani’s close-range header hit the frame.

Conte’s squad earned a penalty from a handball with about 10 minutes left, but McTominay’s effort was tame and stopped. In the end, it was irrelevant, given the earlier goals.

Napoli climbed to second in the Serie A standings with this convincing result. Still, the champions trail leaders Inter Milan by nine points, with Inter holding a fixture to spare.

Cremonese’s poor streak persists, keeping them in the relegation scrap. Just one win in 20 games leaves La Cremo one spot clear of danger, aided by their superior record against US Lecce.