Torino travel to the Zini on Sunday 19 April 2026 to face Cremonese in a match that reaches beyond the standings. For Roberto D'Aversa, it is a chance to collect a victory he has made plain he wants; for Toro, it is also a live look at players who could shape the club's summer.
D'Aversa was blunt about the target. He said: “Voglio una bella vittoria.” He added that beating this opponent for the first time would matter, and went further still: “Per il Toro il minimo sindacale è andare a vincere a Cremona.” The coach also backed Nikola Vlasic in strong terms, calling him “un leader” and “un top” as he pushed for a third straight win. Vlasic scored his first Serie A goal against these opponents in 2022, and the return to the same ground gives that detail a sharper edge.
The match matters because Torino are not only chasing points. La Stampa said the club had collected 12 points in its first six matches, and also reported that Cremona is being watched with a market eye, with interest in Barbieri, Baschirotto and Audero. That makes the trip feel like a test of the present and a scan of the future at the same time. Giovanni Simeone, meanwhile, added another layer by speaking again about a possible return to River Plate. He said: “Mi piacerebbe tornare al River” and, after the Milan match, had already admitted: “Il futuro è incerto.”
There is also friction inside the Torino squad. Tuttosport reported that D'Aversa may leave Niels Nkounkou out of the squad as punishment, while Maripan could return to the starting lineup. Ismajli is absent through suspension, and Coco is ahead of Marianucci in the defensive pecking order. Cremonese, for its part, will be without Vardy but can call on former Torino player Okereke. That mix of absences, returns and unresolved decisions is what turns a routine league fixture into something more revealing.
If Torino leave Cremona with points and a sharp showing, the night will read as more than a normal away match. It will be one more sign of where the team stands now, and where the club may try to move when the season is over.
