Roma surge to the top of Serie A as Cremonese fall 3-1, Derby d'Italia looming
23 November 2025
Roma seize momentary Serie A lead as Cremonese fall 3-1
Roma climbed to the top of Serie A for the moment, chasing their first title since 2001, after a 3-1 victory at Cremonese on Sunday in week 12.
The capital club started the day in third place, just behind Inter on goal difference, while Napoli led the standings after a 3-1 win over Atalanta on Saturday.
With their ninth win of the season, Roma moved to 27 points, two ahead of Napoli and three in front of Inter, ahead of the upcoming derby between Inter and Milan who also chase the summit, five points behind the Giallorossi.
Roma lined up without coach Gasperini, who was sent off for protests, and the opener came from Argentine Matias Soule with a strike from outside the box in the 17th minute, while Lorenzo Pellegrini had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside in the 26th.
Cremonese thought they had drawn level from a late first-half handball penalty, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review.
In the second half, Roma, who played the half without coach Gasperini after his dismissal, extended their lead through Irish substitute Ivan Fergusson with a precise finish from inside the box after a pass from Moroccan Nayl Al-Aynaoui in the 64th.
This was Fergusson first goal for Roma, on loan from Brighton, and his first league goal since October 2024.
The Irish international told DAZN that he waited a long time for this moment and is happy now and hopes to score more, having endured ups and downs but now seeking momentum after recovering from injury to play more and score more.
Roma completed the scoring when Brazilian Wesley França found the far corner after a pass from substitute Stephan El Shaarawy, finishing off a move on the left in the 69th minute.
Cremonese reduced the deficit late with a header by substitute Francesco Foligno after a corner in stoppage time (90+3).
Parma earned their second win of the season by beating Verona 2-1, with Matteo Pellegrino scoring twice to give Parma a late boost as Verona remained bottom.
Looking ahead, the Milan derby takes place at San Siro in week 12 of Serie A and is expected to light up the league table again.
AI predictions for the Derby della Madonnina suggest a 2-1 win for Inter, with the Nerazzurri showing a stronger attack and a few strategic advantages, though anything can happen in football and in a derby the drama is part of the fun.
Punchline 1: If Roma keep climbing, Milan will need a ladder just to peek over the table. Punchline 2: The derby may be fierce, but the real question is who remembered to bring the snacks to the bench?
