September 15, 2025
As the September sun dips low over the historic Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, Hellas Verona prepare to host a resurgent US Cremonese in a pivotal Serie A Matchday 3 clash on September 15, 2025. Kick-off is set for 18:30 CEST, with the Gialloblù desperate for their first Serie A win of the 2025-26 campaign after a rocky start. Meanwhile, the newly promoted Tigers are roaring at the top of the Serie A table, unbeaten and brimming with confidence. This Verona vs Cremonese preview pits survival instincts against fairy-tale momentum—don’t miss this Serie A football showdown.
Recent Form: Verona's Struggles vs Cremonese's Surge
Hellas Verona’s Serie A 2025-26 season has been turbulent. They scraped through the Coppa Italia first round via penalties against Serie C side Audace Cerignola, then salvaged a point in a chaotic 1-1 draw with Udinese on the opening day. However, a 4-0 thrashing by Lazio in Rome exposed defensive frailties, leaving them in 18th place in Serie A with just one point from two games. Verona have now failed to win 10 of their last 11 Serie A matches, a run that saw them cling to 14th in Serie A last season.
In contrast, Cremonese are the Serie A surprise package. After two years in Serie B, they stormed back via the playoffs and have hit the ground running. A stunning 2-1 upset at AC Milan on Matchday 1—defying Serie A odds with sharp counter-attacks—set the tone, followed by a 3-2 home win over Sassuolo, sealed by Manuel De Luca’s 93rd-minute penalty. With six points and five goals scored, the Tigers are among the Serie A top scorers, averaging just 39% possession but converting chances ruthlessly, placing them near the Serie A leaderboard summit.
| Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellas Verona | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| US Cremonese | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
Current Serie A standings (as of September 15, 2025)
Head-to-Head: A History of Tight Serie A Rivalry
These Lombardy-Veneto rivals have clashed 49 times, with Verona holding a slight edge: 19 wins to Cremonese’s 13, and 17 draws. The most recent meeting, a 1-1 draw at Cremonese’s Stadio Giovanni Zini last season (in Serie B), typifies this competitive football fixture. Over the last four H2H clashes, it’s been two draws apiece, with no team dominating. Notably, all six previous encounters ended under 2.5 goals, suggesting a cagey affair despite Cremonese’s Serie A attacking flair. Verona’s home record against Cremonese is solid, with two wins and one draw in the last five at the Bentegodi, but their current six-game Serie A home winless streak—four draws, two losses since February—looms large.
Team News: Injuries and Serie A Debutants
Hellas Verona
Manager Paolo Zanetti is without key players Nicolas Valentini, Tomas Suslov, and Daniel Mosquera (appendicitis), while new signing Gift Orban remains sidelined with an injury from Hoffenheim. Expect a **3-5-