AS Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini was a happy man after the league win over Hellas Verona: thanks in part to Donyell Malen, the Romans are returning to the Champions League after seven years. The Netherlands international scored one of the two goals in Verona.
Roma return to the Champions League as Malen completes remarkable turnaround
AS Roma confirmed their return to the Champions League with a controlled 2-0 victory away to Hellas Verona, a result that secured third place in Serie A and brought an emotional end to a long wait for the Giallorossi. After seven years away from Europe’s biggest club competition, Roma can finally look ahead to Champions League football again, and few players symbolise that resurgence better than Donyell Malen.
The Dutch forward once again proved decisive in Verona, scoring one of Roma’s two goals on a night when Gian Piero Gasperini’s side knew exactly what was at stake. With Devyne Rensch and Malen both involved, Roma approached the match with authority, patience and the maturity of a team that has grown significantly over the course of the campaign. The win over Hellas Verona did not just add another three points to their total; it confirmed a season of progress, belief and renewed ambition in the Italian capital.
For Roma, finishing third in Serie A represents much more than a league position. It is a return to relevance at the highest European level, a statement that the club has managed to rebuild itself into a side capable of competing with Italy’s strongest teams. The Champions League had become a distant target for the supporters, especially after several seasons of frustration, inconsistency and near misses. This time, however, Roma crossed the line with conviction.
Malen’s contribution was central to that achievement. The former PSV forward arrived halfway through the season from Aston Villa and quickly became one of the most important figures in Gasperini’s attacking structure. Against Hellas Verona, he showed both the frustration and the resilience that have defined his career at different stages. After initially missing a penalty, Malen did not allow the moment to damage his confidence. Instead, he stayed involved, kept attacking the right areas and eventually found the net after excellent work from Paulo Dybala.
That reaction said a lot about the player Roma have added to their squad. Malen could have disappeared from the match after failing from the spot, particularly in a fixture carrying so much pressure. Instead, he responded like a forward in form and a player who now feels trusted. His goal was not only important for the scoreline, but also another demonstration of his timing, movement and sharpness inside the final third.
The numbers underline just how impressive his impact has been. Malen has now scored 14 league goals in just 18 Serie A appearances for Roma, an exceptional return for a player who did not even begin the season in Italy. According to Opta, that places him in rare company. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima had previously scored so many Serie A goals in a single season while making fewer than 20 appearances for their club.
Ibrahimovic achieved the feat during the 2020/21 season, scoring 15 times in 19 league matches, while Ronaldo scored 14 goals in 19 appearances during the 1998/99 campaign. For Malen to be mentioned alongside names of that level says everything about the efficiency of his Roma spell. He has not simply added useful goals; he has delivered at a rate normally associated with elite forwards.
Gasperini was understandably full of praise after the match. Speaking to DAZN Italia, the Roma coach made it clear how important Malen had been since arriving from Aston Villa, especially at a time when injuries had reduced the team’s attacking options. According to Gasperini, Malen gave Roma a huge boost when they needed it most, bringing pace, directness, goals and a different type of threat to the forward line.
That point is crucial when assessing Roma’s season. Malen did not join a side simply looking for squad depth. He arrived at a club fighting for a Champions League place, dealing with physical problems in attack and needing someone capable of making an immediate difference. Adapting to Serie A in the middle of a campaign is rarely straightforward, particularly for forwards, but Malen managed to impose himself almost instantly.
His development at Roma also tells a wider story about opportunity. At Aston Villa, Malen often found himself on the bench and struggled to secure the role he wanted. Despite showing flashes of quality and contributing three goals in the Europa League for the English club, he never truly became a central figure in Unai Emery’s side. The move to Roma has given him something different: rhythm, trust and a team structure that appears to suit his qualities.
In Gasperini’s system, Malen has been able to attack space, combine with creative players and arrive in dangerous scoring positions more consistently. Dybala’s influence has also helped. The Argentine remains one of Roma’s most technically gifted players, and his assist in Verona showed the value of having a creator capable of finding forwards at decisive moments. Malen’s movement gives Dybala passing options, while Dybala’s intelligence gives Malen the service he needs.
Roma’s decision to make the move permanent now looks entirely logical. The club initially signed Malen on loan from Aston Villa, but the agreement is now expected to become permanent for a reported fee of around 25 million euros. Given his immediate impact, that figure appears increasingly justified. In a market where reliable goalscorers are expensive and difficult to find, Roma have secured a forward who has already proven he can perform in their environment.
For Malen personally, the move represents a major career reset. After a difficult spell in England, he has rediscovered his confidence in Italy and reminded everyone of the qualities that once made him one of the most exciting attacking talents to come through Dutch football. His pace, finishing, movement and ability to play across the front line have all become valuable weapons for Roma during the decisive months of the season.
The timing of his resurgence could hardly be better. Champions League football will bring a higher level of exposure, stronger opponents and greater demands. Roma will need to strengthen further if they want to compete properly on multiple fronts, but Malen has already shown that he can be part of that next phase. His goals helped take the club back to the competition, and now he has the chance to prove himself on that stage once again.
For the supporters, the return to the Champions League carries huge emotional weight. Roma are a club with enormous passion, expectation and pressure, but recent years have often brought frustration in the league. European nights have remained important to the club’s identity, but the Champions League is different. It brings prestige, financial power and the chance to measure the team against the best sides on the continent.
That is why the win in Verona felt like more than a routine away victory. The 2-0 scoreline reflected a professional performance, but the meaning behind it was much greater. Roma did what serious teams must do at this stage of a season: they handled the pressure, avoided unnecessary drama and delivered when the objective was within reach.
Gasperini also deserves significant credit. His words after the match highlighted the mentality of the group, stressing how hard the players had worked and how clear it had become that they wanted to return to the highest level. That collective hunger has been visible in the final stretch of the campaign. Roma have not relied only on individual brilliance, even if players like Malen and Dybala have produced decisive moments. They have also become more consistent, more organised and more resilient.
Malen’s story, however, will remain one of the defining narratives of Roma’s season. Arriving in January, carrying questions after an underwhelming spell at Aston Villa, and then scoring 14 Serie A goals in 18 games is the type of transformation that can change how a player is viewed. He arrived as a useful addition. He may now enter next season as one of the central figures in Roma’s Champions League project.
There is still a lot to build. Roma will need depth, balance and tactical flexibility to deal with the demands of Serie A and the Champions League. The squad will face more intense weeks, tougher travel schedules and stronger opponents. But securing qualification changes the entire mood around the club. It gives Roma a stronger platform in the transfer market and gives Gasperini a clear argument that his project is moving in the right direction.
For Malen, the challenge now is to maintain this level over a full season. His scoring rate since arriving in Italy has been outstanding, but the next step is consistency across an entire campaign, especially with Champions League football added to the calendar. If he can continue producing at anything close to this level, Roma will not only have found a January solution; they may have found one of the most important forwards for their future.
The night in Verona will therefore be remembered for several reasons. It confirmed Roma’s third-place finish, ended a seven-year wait for Champions League participation and added another chapter to Malen’s remarkable revival. A missed penalty could have been the headline for the Dutchman, but instead, his response became the real story. He missed, stayed calm, scored and helped send Roma back where they believe they belong.
After years of waiting, the Giallorossi are returning to the Champions League. And thanks in large part to Donyell Malen, they are doing so with renewed confidence, renewed ambition and a forward who has turned a mid-season move into one of the most important stories of their campaign.
