Cremonese led Udinese 1-0 in the first half after Jamie Vardy turned a defensive mistake into the opening goal in the Serie A match reported live at 20.45. Udinese were briefly handed a penalty by referee Manganiello, but the decision was checked for Kristensen's position and then taken away after he was ruled offside.
The goal came after Udinese lost the ball in the halfway-line area and Cremonese broke quickly. Bonazzoli first tried to finish with his left foot, but Okoye saved and Vardy pounced on the rebound to put Cremonese ahead. The move summed up a fast, direct start from the visitors, who had Giampaolo lining up with Vardy and Bonazzoli from the outset.
That opening was not the only chance Cremonese created. Kristensen anticipated Vardy and conceded a corner, while Maleh forced Okoye into another save from just inside the area on the left, the keeper pushing the shot behind for a corner. Pezzella also tried from distance but sent his effort over, and Grassi later saw a shot from outside the box deflected into another corner for the visitors.
The bigger picture matters because the match had already tilted before kickoff. Runjaic had lost Zaniolo before the game, leaving Udinese with one less attacking option, and Cremonese arrived with Vardy and Bonazzoli in the forward line. That combination has already been enough to punish a mistake and change the tone of the contest.
For Udinese, the frustration is not just the scoreline but the sequence around the disallowed penalty. Manganiello pointed to the spot, only for the check to cut the home side's hopes short when Kristensen was found offside. A team that thought it had a route back into the match instead found itself chasing 0-1 and dealing with a Cremonese side that looked ready to make every turnover count. More is available in the live match context at Udinese Vs Cremonese: relegation pressure meets free-scoring form in Serie A.
