Can Jamie Vardy lead another ‘great escape’ 11 years on? Late surge hands Cremonese a chance
The former Leicester City striker has scored in each of Cremonese’s last two games, leading the Italian side to two straight wins as they push for Serie A safery
Having recorded two straight wins for only the third time this season, Cremonese enter the last round of the 2025/26 Serie A campaign with a chance to secure safety against all odds.
Led by former Leicester City captain Jamie Vardy, third-bottom Cremonese need a win at home against a high-flying Como while hoping that 17-th placed Lecce drop points at home against Genoa.
Despite having scored only seven goals this season, Vardy has netted in each of Cremonese’s last two victories, including a winner away at Udinese last weekend.
“Vardy is a great player, he relishes the match situation and wants to be a protagonist,” coach Marco Giampaolo told DAZN.
“When he accelerates, he’s pushing so hard that he leaves welts in the turf. You realise when you are dealing with a player of a superior level.”
Leicester’s great escape
While the Italian side are looking to pull a miracle, Vardy’s recent form may remind Premier League fans of his contribution to Leicester City’s so-called ‘Great Escape’ in 2014/15.
Despite having spent 140 days in the relegation zone, the Foxes ended the campaign by grabbing 22 of the 27 available points to secure safety with one game to go.
Vardy netted only five league goals that season, but he recorded four goals and as many assists over the last two months.
One of his goals came one minute into the second half’s stoppage time, as Leicester edged West Bromwich Albion 3-2 on the road during the aforementioned comeback stretch.
“In the ‘Great Escape’ season – I just remember [Gareth] McAuley trying to shepherd the ball out of play and I’ve managed to outmuscle him and nick it off him,” he said of that clash.
“I looked up and there was only really Joleon Lescott there defending so I ran at him, got half a yard onto my left and drilled it across the ‘keeper. The celebrations, I couldn’t really tell you what I was doing.
“It was just the feeling that we knew we had to win and that was the winning goal. You could see what it meant to the fans as well. Everyone was going ballistic and I think my celebrations showed that as well.”
With bottom-placed Pisa and second-placed Hellas Verona mathematically relegated, Cremonese aim to leapfrog Lecce at the final hurdle.
Vardy’s side have collected 34 points, sitting one behind Lecce, who grabbed a huge 3-2 victory away at 11th-placed Sassuolo last weekend.
The odds are stacked against Cremonese, but the veteran Englishman is no stranger to this kind of situation, and will be aiming to net his third goal in as many games and help play his part in another great escape.
