Federico Bonazzoli, Cremonese's 28-year-old forward, was the central figure in a goalless draw against Torino at the Zini on Sunday, forcing a sharp save from goalkeeper Paleari in a match that ended 0-0 and delivered a point Cremonese needed badly.
With six rounds remaining and Cremonese sitting 17th on 28 points from 33 matches, every point in the relegation fight carries disproportionate weight. A draw against a mid-table Torino side is not a result that excites, but it is a result that keeps options open. Cremonese have won only six times all season, so denying opponents victory has become as important as claiming it themselves.
Bonazzoli's involvement against Torino fits the pattern of his 2025-26 campaign. In 29 Serie A appearances, he has scored seven goals and contributed one assist, carrying an average match rating of 6.90 — figures that mark him as a consistent rather than spectacular contributor in a side that has managed only 26 goals all season. Seven of those 26 have come from him directly, which means he accounts for more than a quarter of Cremonese's entire attacking output. That ratio underlines how thin the margins are for Marco Giampaolo's side: when Bonazzoli is denied, as Paleari denied him on Sunday, the team rarely finds another route to goal.
The VAR disallowance of a Baschirotto goal added to the sense that Cremonese were the more aggrieved side, though the data offers no room for grievance — 47 goals conceded in 33 matches is a defensive record that explains the league position more than any single refereeing decision.
With six matches left and a squad that has drawn ten times this season, Giampaolo's Cremonese will need Bonazzoli converting chances rather than testing goalkeepers.