Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Donyell Malen believes Roma can achieve special things this season and says Giallorossi coach Gian Piero Gasperini has finally helped him fulfil his potential.
Roma have taken 13 points from their opening five games to set the pace at the top of Serie A, alongside Inter, ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Scudetto outsiders Como.
And Malen has been a key part of the Giallorossi’s flying start, plundering six goals already to lead the Golden Boot race.
Malen had to withdraw from the Netherlands’ squad during the recent international break, having reportedly experienced discomfort in his knee, though the issue is not thought to be significant.
In fact, Italian media reports suggest Malen will be available to face Como at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia this weekend, and ahead of that fixture, the forward discussed how he has rediscovered his love for the game since leaving Aston Villa in January.
“It was my decision,” Malen told Corriere dello Sport, when asked about his move from Villa to the Italian capital.
“I wanted to play and be part of a team where I could take to the field every weekend and play an important role.
“At that stage, I didn’t feel important, so I think I made the best choice. Today, I feel I’m in the right place with the right people.
“The coach and my team-mates show a lot of confidence in me, and together, all of this is helping me become the player I dreamed of being.”
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) October 2, 2026
Gasperini has overseen 299 wins in Serie A overall, and his next victory will make him just the fifth manager to win 300 or more matches in the competition’s history, after Giovanni Trapattoni (352), Massimiliano Allegri (324), Luciano Spalletti (306) and Nereo Rocco (302).
Malen has been hugely impressed with the way the 68-year-old has Roma playing this term – only Inter scored more goals (15 to 14) or generated more expected goals (14.5 xG to 12.8) across the first five matchdays than the Giallorossi, who drew 2-2 with the champions in their most recent game.
“As a team, you know, we were strong and connected, and I immediately had a very good feeling,” Malen added. “We can build on moments like these and do something special.”
Como have also started strongly, earning 10 points from their first five games, though they were beaten 2-0 by surprise package Frosinone going into the international break.
Nevertheless, Fabregas’ work with the club has earned him plenty of admirers, and president Mirwan Suwarso says that when the time comes for the former midfielder to move on, he will not stand in his way.
“He doesn’t need a clause to go anywhere he wants,” Suwarso said. “In a business like this, he’s a friend more than anything else. He can go wherever he wants, whenever he wants.
“If tomorrow he calls me and says, ‘Hey, I want to go to Leverkusen’. I would say if that’s something you want to do, then go. I don’t need any compensation.”
The team’s back. Full focus on Como-Roma https://t.co/2CwAlYNwAs
— Como1907 (@Como_1907) October 7, 2026
With 12 goals in 2026, Douvikas has already set the record for the most goals scored by a Como player in a single calendar year in Serie A.
However, each of the Greek forward’s last five league goals have come away from home, and he is seeking his first Serie A strike at the Sinigaglia since March 22, when he netted against Pisa.
Since making his Serie A debut for Roma on January 18, 2026, Malen has been the leading scorer across Europe’s big five leagues, netting 20 times in 23 appearances.
Going into this weekend’s fixtures, that tally put him two clear of Harry Kane and Raphinha (both 18).
Malen also has the best minutes-per-goal ratio in Serie A in the three-points-for-a-win era (since 1994-95), scoring every 91 minutes (minimum 10 goals) – ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (one every 104 minutes) and Ronaldo Nazario (one every 117 minutes).
Como have won their last three home Serie A matches against Roma, scoring two goals in each of those three games.
That is the same number of wins as they registered in their first 11 home top-flight matches against Roma (W3 D4 L4), only scoring four goals in that span.
Following a nine-match unbeaten run in Serie A (W7 D2), Como lost their most recent game 2-0 against Frosinone; they could now record two consecutive defeats in the competition for the first time since April 2025 (against Inter and Sassuolo).
Roma, meanwhile, have gained at least 13 points from their opening five Serie A matches in a season for only the fifth time (assuming three-points-for-a-win all-time), after 2014-15 (15), 2013-14 (15), 1994-95 (13) and 1952-53 (13).
Should they win this match, the Giallorossi will have earned at least 16 points after six top-flight matches for only the third time, after 2013-14 (18) and 1952-53 (16).
But Como are strong at the Sinigaglia, winning their last three games there in all competitions, so it would be no surprise to see the spoils shared.
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