Dutchman explodes in Rome – Malen fires Roma into the Champions League race with a hat-trick

It’s incredible what a brilliant move Roma made when they brought in Donyell Malen from Aston Villa this winter. No one could have imagined that just a few months later, the Dutchman would become the most lethal striker in Serie A. The definition of an instant signing. The former PSV player is having the half-season of his career in the Giallorossi shirt.

Malen’s latest victim was Pisa, as he scored a hat-trick in just over 50 minutes and once again revived Roma’s hopes of reaching the Champions League – 3:0.

It sounds unreal that a player who couldn’t even get near the pitch under Unai Emery at Aston Villa now looks so dominant in Serie A. In just 12 appearances, he has already reached double digits with ten goals. At the moment, Como’s Tasos Douvikas is the second top scorer with only one goal more, while Lautaro Martinez leads the chart with 16—but judging by Malen’s form, even the Argentine isn’t far out of reach.

What will be remembered from this match is that the Netherlands international became the first player to score a hat-trick in a Serie A game in 14 months. He is also the fastest player to reach ten goals in Serie A since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 2020/21 season, although Ibrahimovic did it in eight matches.

Probably the best €2,000,000 Roma have spent in recent history, and there is no doubt they will do everything this summer to buy him permanently for €25,000,000. Everything he did against Pisa turned to gold. He had three shots on target—and scored all three times.

First, in the 3rd minute, he capitalized on a defensive error, curling the ball beautifully into the net. Then, toward the end of the first half, he reacted well to a cross from his compatriot Devyne Rensch and headed past the helpless Adrian Semper. Early in the second half, he ran onto a counterattack perfectly and completed his hat-trick.

It was the final touch on one of the best individual performances by a Roma player this season, and Malen’s shots were the only ones Roma managed to put on target in this match. Only Lorenzo Pellegrini came close, hitting the crossbar from a free kick, but this was a one-man show.

The man who is keeping Roma’s hopes alive of playing in the Champions League next season.

SERIE A ROUND 32

Friday

Roma - Pisa 3-0 (2-0)

/Malen 3, 43, 52/

Saturday

16.00: (2.25) Cagliari (3.25) Cremonese (3.60)

16.00: (1.92) Torino (3.40) Verona (4.20)

19.00: (1.45) Milan (4.40) Udinese (7.50)

21.45: (3.10) Atalanta (3.50) Juventus (2.40)

Sunday

13.30: (2.20) Genoa (3.25) Sassuolo (3.50)

16.00: (6.25) Parma (3.60) Napoli (1.62)

19.00: (1.83) Bologna (3.50) Lecce (4.50)

21.45: (3.30) Como (3.40) Inter (2.35)

Monday

21.45: (2.35) Fiorentina (3.30) Lazio (3.10)

***odds are subject to change***