Roma return to winning ways, driven by an extraordinary Malen , the undisputed star of the night with a sensational hat-trick that sinks Pisa and puts the Giallorossi back in the European race.
A dominant display, also enriched by strong signals before kick-off: it is hard not to read between the lines a possible jab from Ranieri at Gasperini, on the transfer market and beyond.
For Malen, it was a historic night: the first hat-trick of his career and the first by any player in this Serie A 2025/26 season, confirming his incredible form. The first goal came after just three minutes, capitalising on a defensive mistake and beating Semper with a precise curling shot; the second came from a scrambled move in the box, with the Dutchman ready to tap into an empty net; and the third, finally, was the masterpiece that sealed it, with a perfect run onto a through ball and a right-footed finish.
With this win, Roma move up to sixth place, temporarily level with Juventus and fully in the race for a European spot. Next Saturday, however, they face a crucial test against Atalanta in a match that could shape their season, but with the shadow of Pellegrini 's injury hanging over them after he went off at half-time and is still being assessed: according to Sky Sport, a strain in the flexor muscle of his right leg is possible.
The situation is the opposite for Pisa, still bottom on 18 points and now ever closer to relegation: Serie B is truly just around the corner.
52ND MINUTE- Fantastic Donyell Malen, who completes a brilliant hat-trick, the first of his career!
Soulé creates from the right and picks out Malen with a perfect through ball: the Dutchman loses his marker in the box, controls it and beats Semper again with his right foot to make it three.
RANDOM STATS: the Dutchman achieves a small feat: scoring the first hat-trick of this Serie A season! The last player to score more than once in a match was Retegui (four goals on 8 February 2025, in Verona-Atalanta).
RANDOM STATS: Since his Serie A debut in mid-January, only Kane (11) has scored more goals than Malen (10) in Europe's TOP 5 leagues [ Opta ].
44TH MINUTE- Anxious moments for Pellegrini, who stayed down after a challenge. The midfielder stretched out his right leg and immediately felt pain in the hamstring area, prompting the medical staff to come on.
From the joy of the second goal to concern: the Giallorossi midfielder carried on through the pain and kept touching the area, staying on until half-time so as not to use up a substitution slot. But after the break he did not return: Pellegrini stayed in the dressing room and made way for El Shaarawy .
Sky Sport reports that medical tests will already be carried out in the next few hours: the feeling is that there could be a hamstring injury and that he will miss next Saturday's match against Atalanta.
43RD MINUTE- Malen strikes again to make it 2-0, putting himself top of the Serie A scoring charts for the calendar year.
Celik wins it back high in the box, the ball stays there among rebounds and attempted controls: in the end Rensch combines with Pellegrini and, almost while falling, lays a perfect ball back.
For the Dutchman it is the easiest of finishes: a tap-in into a wide-open goal for his personal brace. Malen's ninth Serie A goal, capping a spell of total Roma dominance before half-time.
41ST MINUTE- Pellegrini nearly doubled Roma's lead with a superb free-kick.
Just outside the area, slightly to the right, the midfielder bent in a perfect trajectory that crashed against the top corner. Semper was rooted to the spot, saved by the woodwork: he would never have got there.
3RD MINUTE- Caracciolo makes a mistake, Malen makes him pay: that was the script that opened Roma-Pisa, with the deadlock broken after just three minutes.
N'Dicka picks out a long ball down the left, the Tuscan defender misreads it and the Dutchman takes full advantage: control, drive into the area and an unstoppable curling finish past Semper.
Hand on the corner flag, then arms aloft in celebration: the Giallorossi striker's eighth Serie A goal, to the convinced applause in the stands from Massara and Ranieri.
Roma's senior advisor told Sky Sport : " Last year there was total unity between me, the players and the fans, and it was an incredible ride. I was lucky because there were only two injuries. How am I finding things now? I'm carrying out a completely different role: here, unlike the coach, you have to watch, observe and, when asked, give your opinion ".
On Gasperini: " All the players who arrived were approved by me and the coach . We signed Malen and Wesley, but it's true that we also signed all the others. Did we waste time on Sancho? We tried until the very end, he did not want to come and obviously we missed some important opportunities because of that. The coach did not like some players and we did not sign them. Because of financial fair play, we brought in many players on loan, some are Roma level, while others have not settled in and are not at that level ".
On this season's objectives: " I said it last year: this had to be a year of getting to know each other, both for us and for the coach. But we'll talk about all of this at the end of the season ".
According to Matteo Moretto, one of the profiles being considered to strengthen the sporting department is Cristiano Giuntoli. It is a name that fits into a broader context of internal renewal, with the ownership ready to review the club's structure. In that sense, Gian Piero Gasperini could play a key role as a sponsor of the move, in what promises to be a decisive summer for the club's future ( HERE IS THE FULL UPDATE ).
ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar ; Ghilardi , Ndicka, Hermoso; Celik, Cristante , Pisilli, Rensch; Soulè, Pellegrini; Malen.
PISA (3-5-2): Semper; Calabresi, Caracciolo, Canestrelli ; Touré, Mehdi, Leris , Aebischer , Angori; Tramoni , Moreo .
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in ๐ฎ๐น here.
