Donyell Malen announced himself as a serious threat under Gian Piero Gasperini by bagging a hat-trick, with Paulo Dybala providing all three assists, as Roma crushed Fiorentina 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Monday. The result was never in doubt after Malen broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, and a second-half blitz made the scoreline emphatic before Niccolò Pisilli added a late fourth from the bench. Fiorentina, who managed an xG of just 0.28, barely threatened and leave Rome at the bottom of the table after matchday one.
Key Moments
- 27′, Donyell Malen opens the scoring, finishing a Paulo Dybala assist to give Roma the lead.
- 52′, Malen doubles Roma’s advantage early in the second half, again set up by Dybala, putting the game effectively beyond Fiorentina.
- 60′, Dybala picks out Malen for a third time and the Dutchman completes his hat-trick, completing a breathtaking eight-minute spell that ends any lingering contest.
- 63′, Fiorentina ring the changes in desperation, bringing on Moise Kean and Christ Inao Oulaï as the visitors try to stem the bleeding.
- 86′, Niccolò Pisilli, on as a substitute, adds the fourth from close range to round off a dominant home display.
Tactical Breakdown
Roma were in complete control throughout. Gasperini’s side finished with 61% possession, 17 total shots (13 inside the box) and an xG of 2.77, more than nine times Fiorentina’s 0.28. The 3-4-2-1 shape gave Paulo Dybala the freedom to operate between the lines and pick passes behind a Fiorentina midfield that could not live with the pace of the transitions. Bryan Cristante screened the backline reliably across 90 minutes, allowing the wing structure to push high and stretch the visitors.
The match turned decisively in the opening eight minutes of the second half. With Roma already one goal up and Fiorentina offering little, Malen struck at 52 and again at 60, both times latching onto Dybala’s through balls. The visitors responded by emptying their bench, making three substitutions between the 62nd and 63rd minutes, but the structural damage had already been done. Roma then used their own changes sensibly, withdrawing Malen at 68 to protect him and bringing on Matías Soulé and Santiago Castro to maintain intensity.
Fiorentina had no answer for Roma’s verticality. Playing in a 4-3-2-1 that was meant to press high, Fabio Grosso’s side instead surrendered the center of the pitch entirely. Their four shots on target were mostly speculative efforts from outside the box, and Mile Svilar was tested only on the margins. Nicolò Fagioli picked up a yellow card for tripping before being substituted off at the hour mark, and Franco Mastantuono, starting in a creative role, never found space to operate against Roma’s compact defensive structure.
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Verdict
Roma sit top of Serie A after matchday one, the only team with a four-goal tally, and Gasperini’s attacking system already looks fully loaded with Malen and Dybala clicking in their first competitive outing together. Fiorentina, meanwhile, sit last in the table and need to regroup quickly before the pressure mounts, facing a Roma side that suggests the Olimpico will be a difficult place to visit all season.