Malen and Dybala drive Roma’s perfect start

Roma began their Serie A campaign with a statement 4-0 victory over Fiorentina at the Stadio Olimpico, moving to the top of the table after the opening round of fixtures.

Donyell Malen scored three times in a dominant display, while Paulo Dybala supplied the assist for every one of his goals. The performance was particularly notable given the uncertainty around Dybala’s future during the summer before he agreed to extend his Roma contract.

Three goals, three Dybala assists

Roma threatened early, with Dybala testing the Fiorentina goalkeeper from the edge of the area before another effort was tipped over the bar. The breakthrough arrived when Dybala drove into the box from the right and laid the ball across to Malen, who turned beyond his marker before guiding a low finish into the bottom-left corner.

Roma doubled their lead only seven minutes after the interval. Malen collected another pass from Dybala, moved beyond the defensive challenge and fired into the roof of the net despite the goalkeeper’s efforts.

The pair combined again on the hour. After Roma won possession high up the pitch, Dybala reached the byline and delivered a cross for Malen to finish from close range, completing his hat-trick.

Niccolo Pisilli added a fourth after the ball broke loose in the area, giving Roma an emphatic opening-day result.

Roma’s momentum continues

The victory extended Roma’s league winning streak to six matches. They have scored at least twice in each of those games and kept five clean sheets, underlining the team’s strength at both ends of the pitch.

Roma’s attacking superiority was reflected in the numbers: they recorded 17 shots, eight on target and an expected-goals total of 2.83, while Fiorentina managed only nine attempts and an xG figure of 0.28.

Malen’s hat-trick also continued the momentum from his loan spell, during which he scored 15 goals in 20 appearances across all competitions in the second half of the previous season. Dybala’s three assists for the same teammate marked the first such Serie A feat since May 2021.

Elsewhere, Lazio began their campaign with a 1-0 win at Bologna, but Roma’s four-goal display sent them above the champions at the top of the early standings.