Serie A: Cremonese 3-0 Pisa — Vardy Strike Sparks Crucial Win

Cremonese capitalize on Pisa red cards to secure vital win  

Cremonese moved within a point of safety with a dominant 3-0 home win over relegated Pisa, who played over an hour with 10 men and finished with nine.

Jamie Vardy scored his first goal since January in Cremonese’s 3-0 win over Pisa. The victory cuts the gap to safety to one point after Pisa finished with nine men...

Jamie Vardy ended a goal drought stretching back to January, and his strike set Cremonese on course for a vital win that keeps their survival hopes alive, even as Pisa finished the game with nine men.

Cremonese got a boost before kickoff when Lecce lost to Juventus, meaning a win would move them to within a point of their relegation rivals. Federico Baschirotto’s season ended with a thigh injury picked up in the 2-1 defeat to Lazio, adding him to the injured list alongside Faris Moumbagna. Vardy returned to the starting lineup for the first time since March 8. Pisa, already relegated, were without Matteo Tramoni, Marius Marin, and Daniel Denoon.

Rosen Bozhinov’s afternoon unraveled early when he picked up two yellow cards within the first 24 minutes, reducing Pisa to 10 men for more than an hour.

Cremonese made the most of their numerical advantage and pressed forward, with Alberto Grassi unleashing a powerful strike that Adrian Semper could only push away.

The breakthrough came when Giuseppe Pezzella brought down a long ball and laid it off to the edge of the box. Vardy met it first-time with his weaker left foot and swept it into the far bottom corner for his first goal since early January.

Cremonese had a chance to extend their lead on the break, but Federico Bonazzoli’s pass for Jari Vandeputte had too much on it. Pisa responded by bringing on Arturo Calabresi to reinforce their defense.

Youssef Maleh later drove a low shot across goal, and Alberto Grassi’s volley from a corner bounced just wide of the post from the edge of the area.

Cremonese created two big chances right before half-time, and Semper was fortunate to escape both. He lost his footing on a clearance, allowing Simone Canestrelli to clear Bonazzoli’s lob off the line. From the resulting corner, Semper flapped at the ball but Matteo Bianchetti headed over.

After the break, Cremonese made a counter-attack count. Vardy played Vandeputte through, who squared it for Bonazzoli. He took a touch and swept it home from 10 yards.

3️⃣ goals and 3️⃣ points for Cremonese! 🏆#CremonesePisa pic.twitter.com/xD7SNnd4OM

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 10, 2026

Pisa were down to nine when Loyola went in with a reckless two-footed lunge on Pezzella and was shown a straight red.

Alessio Zerbin tested Semper with a cross-shot, Vardy received a standing ovation from the home crowd, and Federico Barbieri forced the keeper into a save with a long-range effort.

David Okereke sealed it late, gliding past a hesitant Hojholt and catching Semper off guard with a sharp finish at a tight angle using the inside of his right foot.

Jamie Vardy is the Panini Player of the Match for #CremonesePisa ✨ pic.twitter.com/wHncoBdFvd

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 10, 2026