Clamorous success for Cremonese who beat Napoli at the 'Maradona' match and qualified after a titanic feat for the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup in which they will challenge Roma.
What happens is incredible, considering that the challenge is between the leaders and the last in the standings of the championship.
But it is clear that the Azzurri's subdued test depends on Spalletti's choices, who fields only one starter, Meret and ten reserves, preferring to focus more attention on next Saturday's championship commitment, when the leaders will be engaged in the Salerno derby Campania, that on the match with the Grigiorossi.
The Napoli coach, however, is missing Kvaratskhelia, Lozano and Demme and in the long run the absences are felt.
In the Cremona area the new coach, Ballardini who took over from Alvini two days ago,
sends a compact team onto the field that entrusts their offensive ambitions to the solidity of the five-man midfield and to the speed of Okereke's counterattack ideas.
And it was the away team that took advantage of the difficulties in covering the Napoli defenders and took the lead in the first half with Pickel who in the 17th minute deflected Okereke's low pass into the net which cut off all of Spalletti's rearguard.
In Naples there is a lot of difficulty in coordinating between the various departments and the maneuver of the Azzurri appears not very fluid and convoluted.
However, the Azzurri in just four minutes, in the 32nd and 36th minutes, first find the equalizer and then the opening goal.
In the first case it was Juan Jesus who headed the ball into the net after a shot by Ndombelè deflected by Carnesecchi and a first shot by Simeone who hit the crossbar.
The advantage of the Azzurri is signed by Simeone who spins in flight, on a cross from the left by Zerbin, hits the head and sends the ball behind Carnesecchi.
In the second half, the coaches make many changes and the entry into the field of some starters in Napoli who should change the balance on the pitch to the advantage of the hosts instead obtain the opposite effect.
And a new indecision by the Azzurri's defense is enough to call into question the outcome of the match.
It was 41' when Zanimacchia made his way up the right wing of the field and placed a cross in the center of the penalty area which Afena-Gyan intercepted with a header,
sending the ball to the back of the net.
We go to extra time and Cremonese becomes bolder.
Napoli had great difficulty in realizing their technical-tactical superiority and Spalletti was forced in the end of the first extra half to send Osimhen onto the field who immediately came close to scoring and on Carnesecchi's retaliation Simeone hit the post.
Cremonese remained in ten due to the expulsion of Sernicola for a second yellow card and Napoli put the opposing defense under siege.
The Azzurri get themselves several opportunities, with Osimhen, with Simeone, with Politano, but they don't take advantage of them and the Cremonese resists with a six-man defense in front of Carnesecchi.
Thus we arrive at the penalty kicks which are beaten under a real downpour.
For Cremonese they all score (Vasquez, Buonaiuto, Tsadjont, Valeri and Afena-Gyan).
For Napoli, Lobotka's mistake is decisive, as he misses his aim and sends the ball close to the post.
It ends with the triumph of the Grigiorossi and with the first big disappointment in the triumphal season so far for the Azzurri.
