Cremonese vs Sampdoria - Coppa Italia

There is a notable edge to this Coppa Italia fixture. When Cremonese meet Sampdoria at Stadio Giovanni Zini on August 17, 2026, both will sense an opportunity to land a telling blow. Chelsea vs Tottenham: Line-ups confirmed for pre-season clash in Sydney.

Form and standings can only tell part of the story when Cremonese and Sampdoria cross paths in the Coppa Italia, and pride alone should guarantee a contest. Cremonese will be keen to seize the initiative and build some momentum on home soil. The visitors will back themselves to cause problems and will not make the trip expecting an easy afternoon. Dusan Vlahovic followed up his hat-trick on Monday by completing the comeback to leave Fenerbahce four points behind Galatasaray, who snatched a late winner at Basaksehir on Friday.

Stylistically, this is a compelling matchup. Cremonese favour a patient, possession-based approach, whereas Sampdoria are at their most dangerous when allowed to hit quickly on the counter. And there are still question marks even in attack, where they have an abundance of supporting forwards including Mbeumo, Cunha and Amad Diallo, but only one out-and-out striker in Sesko.

All eyes will be on the league's leading marksman J. Pohjanpalo, whose 3 goals this season make him the standout threat and a player capable of deciding the outcome on his own. Set-piece specialists and aerial threats on both sides mean dead-ball situations could carry outsized importance. The Serie A side need to sell before attempting to sign a striker, however.

Predicting an outright winner is no easy task given how little separates the two sides on paper. With the sides so closely matched, a 1-1 stalemate looks the most likely way this one ends. With positions in the Coppa Italia table to defend and momentum to chase, neither side can afford to leave anything in the tank. It is understood that his next move is most likely to take him abroad - and potentially to the Premier League.