Como demolished Cremonese 4-1 at the Stadio Giovanni Zini to secure fourth place in Serie A, with Lucas Da Cunha scoring twice in a dominant display.
Como arrived in Cremona chasing a top-four finish, sitting fourth with 71 points from 38 matches. Cremonese, languishing in 18th place with just 34 points, faced an uphill battle against the confident visitors. The home side's recent form showed one win in five games, while Como entered the match on the back of four wins from five.
Como struck first in the 36th minute when Jesús Rodriguez fired past the Cremonese goalkeeper. The goal came after sustained pressure from the visitors, who controlled possession throughout the opening period. Rodriguez's clinical finish gave Como the advantage they deserved based on their superior play.
Cremonese offered limited resistance in the first half. The hosts managed just one shot on target and struggled to string passes together. Como's passing accuracy of 89 percent reflected their control. The visitors created chances at will, with an expected goals figure of 1.06 compared to Cremonese's 0.17.
The second half began with Como extending their lead. Anastasios Douvikas scored in the 51st minute to make it 2-0. The Greek striker's goal seemed to have settled the contest decisively.
Cremonese pulled one back through Federico Bonazzoli's penalty in the 55th minute. The spot-kick offered brief hope for the home supporters. However, Como quickly reasserted control and their superior quality became apparent.
The match turned decisively in Como's favor around the 71st minute. Cremonese's discipline collapsed as three players received red cards within seconds. Martin Djuric, Arlind Grassi, and David Okereke all saw red in a chaotic spell. The numerical disadvantage proved insurmountable for the hosts.
Da Cunha converted from the penalty spot in the 74th minute to make it 3-1. The forward then added his second goal in the 81st minute to complete the rout. Da Cunha's two-goal haul capped a commanding performance from Como's attacking unit.
Como's statistics told the story of their dominance. They recorded 15 total shots compared to Cremonese's six. The visitors also completed 509 passes with 89 percent accuracy. Cremonese managed just 207 passes at 68 percent accuracy, reflecting their lack of possession.
Da Cunha earned the match's highest rating of 8.3 for his decisive contribution. Rodriguez and Douvikas also impressed with ratings of 7.9 and 7.5 respectively. Bonazzoli's penalty goal kept Cremonese competitive briefly but could not prevent the defeat.
The result secures Como's fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification. Cremonese's 18th-place finish confirms their continued struggle in Serie A's lower reaches. Como's superior quality and discipline proved decisive in this one-sided contest.
