Donyell Malen has had an “extraordinary” impression and surpassed all expectations since arriving at Roma, head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has declared.
Roma have began the Serie A season with three straight wins, choosing up the place they left off on the finish of 2025-26 after ending strongly to grab Champions League qualification.
They’ll look to keep up their good begin away to Torino on Monday, when Malen will hope to proceed his sizzling streak in entrance of objective.
Having joined from Aston Villa in January, initially on mortgage, Malen has scored 19 targets in 21 Serie A appearances – at the least seven greater than some other participant has netted this calendar yr (Como’s Tasos Douvikas has 12).
Malen began the 2026-27 marketing campaign with a hat-trick towards Fiorentina, then helped himself to a brace at Lecce on matchday two, although he was saved quiet in Roma’s comeback win over Atalanta final trip within the competitors.
And Gasperini is in awe of his numbers, saying: “It’s extraordinary, the statistics round Malen, particularly for his sheer consistency.
“I knew that signing Malen could be an essential step for us, however he is gone nicely past any expectations.”
Malen didn’t discover the online in Roma’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Fenerbahce on Thursday. Paulo Dybala performed the length of that match, having additionally began Roma’s first three league video games and supplied 4 assists in them.
There had been hypothesis that Dybala could possibly be rested in Turin, however Gasperini says the Argentine will at all times be one of many first names on his teamsheet when obtainable.
“If Dybala is match, then he’ll at all times play, doubtless. If he must relaxation, then it is proper that he’s given time,” Gasperini mentioned.
“I do not like speaking about hierarchies of who begins, as that is not honest to gamers who’re giving their all.
“That is not the way it works with Champions League groups, as a result of it is not about selling or dropping gamers, and that simply turns it into pointless controversy.”
Saturday’s session
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Ought to Dybala present one other help on Monday, he would break the document for many assists within the first 4 matchdays of a Serie A season (since Opta information assortment started in 2004-05 – 4 different gamers have 4 assists within the first 4 video games of a marketing campaign).
And regardless of Roma’s flying begin this season, Gasperini feels there’s nonetheless extra to come back.
“I’m happy with the mentality of the crew, and we’re simply beginning to get into form,” he mentioned.
“We’d like an amazing efficiency towards Torino and should overlook the final match. Everyone seems to be dependable; it is about seeing how everyone seems to be doing from one recreation to the subsequent.
“It is all about trying ahead, as there isn’t any time in trendy soccer. We do need to be extra targeted on avoiding targets defensively, although.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Torino – Rolando Mandragora
Mandragora has been concerned in two targets in his final three dwelling appearances towards Roma in Serie A (one objective, one help).
He scored towards Fiorentina final trip, 5 years and 137 days after his earlier objective for them (April twenty first 2021, towards Bologna throughout a mortgage spell), however he has by no means scored in consecutive appearances within the competitors.
Roma – Donyell Malen
Malen made his Serie A debut and scored his first objective within the competitors away to Torino in January.
And he may now change into simply the third participant in Roma’s historical past to attain greater than 5 targets within the Giallorossi’s first 4 Serie A video games of a season, after Pedro Manfredini in 1960-61 (seven) and Francesco Totti in 2001-02 (six).
MATCH PREDICTION: ROMA WIN
Roma have gained 14 of their final 19 Serie A matches towards Torino (D2 L3).
Since 2017, they haven’t gained extra video games towards some other opponent within the competitors (additionally 14 towards Udinese).
Torino have additionally failed to attain in six of their final 9 dwelling league video games towards Roma, dropping seven of these contests (D1 L1).
And with Torino failing to maintain a clear sheet of their final eight Serie A matches, solely successful twice in that sequence (D2 L4), the in-form Giallorossi are clear favourites.
Roma have gained their final eight Serie A matches throughout the tip of final season (5) and the beginning of the present marketing campaign (three).
They’ve solely had an extended successful streak within the competitors on three events, with 11 consecutive wins between December 2005 and February 2006, 11 between Could and October 2013, and 9 between March and April 2014.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Torino – 18.7%
Roma – 57.8%
Draw – 23.5%