Roma rout Fiorentina 4-0 on opening day; Malen hat-trick, Dybala three assists

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Roma marked their first official victory of the season with a commanding 4–0 win over Fiorentina at the Olimpico under new manager Gian Piero Gasperini. The performance was described as high-level, with no debate over the scoreline. Gasperini rewarded the squad with a day off following the Monday night debut, meaning no training session is scheduled at Trigoria on 25 August. Bryan Cristante addressed the media, noting that the workload in the current phase is noticeably lighter and more manageable compared to the summer preparation period. The squad will resume training on Wednesday afternoon.

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Bryan Cristante was interviewed after Roma's opening match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August. The midfielder said the team had put in a strong performance from the start and credited the squad's preparation during pre-season for their readiness. "We're in good shape, we had a good pre-season with all our efforts. If we carry on with performances like this it's very good. We're more ready because the squad is the same one. We're more prepared for the workload and the manager's demands, so we started with an extra gear," Cristante said. Cristante highlighted the impact of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, saying they "make the difference when they're in good form." He noted that Dybala has been making a difference in Italian football for years, while Malen scored immediately in January. Cristante also praised a player referred to as "Lulli", describing it as "a great performance" and saying he "can give us a hand." On the team's defensive solidity, Cristante reflected: "We've always done great training sessions, but in pre-season the workload takes its toll. However, the staff always get us ready when matches that count begin." The midfielder also reflected on his personal milestone, saying he was entering Roma's top ten for players with the most appearances for the club. "It's an incredible club and city. I'm honoured to enter the top ten. I hope to make as many appearances as possible and continue to win with performances like this," he said. On the team's ambitions, Cristante added: "Yes, we want to do better. We're starting from a more consolidated base: we're the same group. We're starting with an extra gear, but the season is long. Starting well is important, we want to improve on last year's result."

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as Roma demolished Fiorentina 4–0, with the Dutch winger later captured in a video posted by his wife Delisha performing as a DJ to celebrate the result. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini praised the performance across the squad. In his post-match comments, Gasperini said: "Mora is extraordinary. Dybala is a beast. We need a few more reinforcements." Paulo Dybala also spoke after the match, stating: "We can finish higher than third place. I never had doubts about the contract renewal." Malen added: "Playing with Dybala is extraordinary. I don't want to say how many goals I'll score." The emphatic victory showcased Roma's attacking threat, with Dybala operating at his sharpest alongside Malen's match-winning display.

Roma opened their 2026-27 season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Fiorentina, with Donyell Malen scoring a hat-trick and Paulo Dybala providing three assists. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini saw encouraging debuts from Rodrigo Mora, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Santiago Castro. With a trip to Lecce at the Via del Mare scheduled for Monday 31 August at 18:30, Gasperini has given the squad a day's rest. Training will resume on Wednesday afternoon at Trigoria, ahead of the next fixture.

Bryan Cristante was interviewed after Roma's opening match of the 2026–27 season against Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on 24 August. The midfielder said the team had put in a strong performance from the start and credited the squad's preparation during pre-season for their readiness. "We're in good shape, we had a good pre-season with all our efforts. If we carry on with performances like this it's very good. We're more ready because the squad is the same one. We're more prepared for the workload and the manager's demands, so we started with an extra gear," Cristante said. Cristante highlighted the impact of Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen, saying they "make the difference when they're in good form." He noted that Dybala has been making a difference in Italian football for years, while Malen scored immediately in January. Cristante also praised a player referred to as "Lulli", describing it as "a great performance" and saying he "can give us a hand." On the team's defensive solidity, Cristante reflected: "We've always done great training sessions, but in pre-season the workload takes its toll. However, the staff always get us ready when matches that count begin." The midfielder also reflected on his personal milestone, saying he was entering Roma's top ten for players with the most appearances for the club. "It's an incredible club and city. I'm honoured to enter the top ten. I hope to make as many appearances as possible and continue to win with performances like this," he said. On the team's ambitions, Cristante added: "Yes, we want to do better. We're starting from a more consolidated base: we're the same group. We're starting with an extra gear, but the season is long. Starting well is important, we want to improve on last year's result."

Donyell Malen scored three goals in Roma's dominant 4–0 victory over Fiorentina, with Paulo Dybala providing assists for the Dutch forward's strikes. Niccolò Pisilli added a fourth in the closing stages. Roma's attacking display was spectacular, while Fiorentina offered little resistance.

Roma announced their Serie A ambitions in the most emphatic fashion on opening day, overwhelming Fiorentina 4-0 at a sold-out Olimpico under Gian Piero Gasperini. Donyell Malen claimed a hat-trick, but the architect of the rout was Paulo Dybala, whose penetrating play carved open the Fiorentina defence repeatedly. Niccolò Pisilli added the fourth from the bench in the closing stages. Malen opened the scoring in the 27th minute after Dybala burst past the Fiorentina backline and squared him in the area; the Dutchman controlled with his heel, turned and fired past De Gea. Roma dominated possession in the first half (68%), with Rodrigo Mora forcing a fine save from De Gea and the midfield work of Mora effectively shackling Fagioli to limit Fiorentina's attacking continuity. The visitor's defence crumbled after the interval. On 53 minutes, Dybala again initiated the move and Malen attacked from a central position, beating Dragusin and finding the far corner for 2-0. Seven minutes later the pattern repeated: Dybala fed Malen in the box and the forward made it 3-0 with his third of the night. With three minutes remaining, Pisilli arrived from the bench and capitalised on a loose ball to complete the scoring. Gasperini's team maintained relentless control throughout, demonstrating technical and tactical superiority while remaining ruthlessly efficient. Malen left the pitch with the match ball; Dybala delivered a commanding display that set the tone for Roma's attacking dominance. The statement sent to the rest of Serie A on the opening fixture was unmistakable.

Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick as AS Roma won their Serie A opener against Fiorentina on Monday night—a historic first for the club to begin their league campaign on a Monday. Gian Piero Gasperini, managing Roma, marked the start of his twentieth season in Serie A with a managerial position, an achievement reached previously only by Carlo Mazzone (28 seasons), Nereo Rocco (24), Nils Liedholm (23), Giovanni Trapattoni (23), and Luigi Radice (20). Bryan Cristante delivered a near-perfect midfield performance, Wesley showed his customary commitment on the flanks, and Paulo Dybala appeared in scintillating form, reaching his 100th Serie A appearance for Roma. Dybala extended his run to four consecutive league matches with a decisive contribution, amassing 5 assists during that spell. Malen dominated the match with five shots—more than any player from either side—and claimed top spot in Serie A's scoring chart. His record is striking: 17 goals in 19 Serie A appearances, surpassing Gabriel Omar Batistuta's previous Roma record of 15 goals in the first 20 games of the three-points-for-a-win era. The victory extended Roma's winning streak to six consecutive Serie A matches, all decided by at least two goals, with five clean sheets during that run. The last longer winning streak came in February–March 2025 under Claudio Ranieri, when Roma won seven in a row. Roma's recent record in season openers is formidable: in their last 15 opening-day fixtures, they have lost just once (a 3–0 away to Verona in 2020), winning 8 and drawing 5. Against Fiorentina specifically, Roma have now won three times at the start of seasons, including victories in 2014 and 2021. On 4 May this year, Roma had defeated Fiorentina by four goals—the first such margin in Serie A since Luciano Spalletti's 4–0 in 2017. With this latest win, Roma stretched their run of consecutive Serie A matches with a goal to 16. The squad's average age sits at approximately 24.8 years against a Serie A average of 25.6, making Roma the subject of the most significant youth restructuring among Italy's big clubs—roughly three years younger than Inter and Napoli, and fresher than Milan and Lazio. The signing of Oosterwolde (24) is imminent and will reinforce this trend. Looking at potential starters—Svilar, Wesley, Rensch, Koulierakis, Koné, Pisilli, Soulé, Castro, and Mora—Gasperini may manage one of the youngest Roma squads of the past decade. The youth project was on full display against Fiorentina. Eighteen-year-old Rodrigo Mora, the main youth prospect in the starting eleven, had a shot on target at the 19th minute. Niccolò Pisilli (born 2004) came off the bench to score the fourth goal. The real surprise was the selection of 19-year-old Emanuele Lulli (born 2007), who impressed in Roma's Primavera setup and was aggregated to the first team for the summer retreat. He provided an assist for Paulo Dybala in the friendly against Cardiff before starting in place of Nahuel Molina. The sight of two players from the 2006–2007 generations operating with composure on opening night underscores a club intent on winning while building for the future, guided by Gasperini's experience and the hunger of its young talents.