Headline: Roma Dominates Fiorentina in Season Opener with Malen’s Hat-Trick
At the Olimpico on Saturday, August 24, Roma showcased an impressive performance, surpassing the typical opening-day excitement with dominant ball control and relentless chances, while Fiorentina struggled to generate any meaningful attack.
The statistics reflected Roma’s superiority, with the hosts holding 61% possession to Fiorentina’s 39%. The disparity was even more pronounced in shots on target, where Roma recorded seven compared to just one for Fiorentina throughout the match. Roma also completed nearly double the number of passes as their opponents and won the aerial battles decisively, with 9 duels to 3. However, what truly stood out was the pressing strategy, characterized by wing backs consistently advancing and a high defensive line that remained engaged even when possession seemed lost, resembling a more aggressive approach akin to Gasperini’s football style from previous seasons.
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While it’s premature to declare a definitive tactical shift based on a single match, the alignment of observed performance with consistent data hints at significant changes.
Malen and Dybala Find Their Rhythm
Donyell Malen made a notable impact by scoring a hat-trick in the 27th, 52nd, and 60th minutes, with all three goals assisted by Paulo Dybala. Such an achievement, where one player provides all assists for a Serie A hat-trick, is rare; the last occurrence was on May 2, 2021, when Rodrigo Palacio netted a treble for Bologna against Fiorentina with three assists from Emanuel Vignato in a match that ended 3-3. Malen finished the game with a perfect 10.0 Sofascore rating after a mere 68 minutes on the pitch, having been substituted before full-time as he had already proven his prowess.
Questions surrounded Malen’s ability to maintain his form from the previous spring, but he seemed to answer them convincingly before September arrived. Roma employed a 3-4-1-2 formation, featuring Rodrigo Mora in the number ten role for his debut, with Dybala positioned as a forward alongside Malen instead of out wide, further amplifying the significance of the service Dybala provided to his partner.
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With a few academy players stepping in to cover gaps in the backline, it became clear that Gasperini has multiple options to rely on as the fixture schedule becomes demanding with the return of European competitions in September. Such a performance may influence sportsbooks and betting platforms, potentially prompting early adjustments on Serie A futures, particularly in regard to Roma’s odds for a top-four finish.
Fiorentina’s marquee summer signing, Mastantuono, remained their sole beacon of quality in the attacking third, often left isolated during the match, while Pellegrino found it challenging to receive the ball in dangerous positions. The late-game introductions of Kean and Oulai aimed to instill more strength and unpredictability in Fiorentina’s attack, but a solitary shot on target throughout the match raises concerns for a team with genuine European aspirations.
At the Olimpico on Saturday, August 24, Roma put together a display that went further than the usual opening-day adrenaline: dominant possession and chance creation that kept coming, while Fiorentina struggled to build anything resembling a move.
Possession sat at 61% for the hosts against 39% for Fiorentina, which is more than can be said for the shot counts, where the numbers moved around depending on who was counting. Shots on target were the clearest gap: seven for Roma against a single one from Fiorentina all afternoon. Roma also completed nearly twice as many passes as their visitors and won the aerial battle comfortably, 9 duels to 3. What stood out more than any single number was the shape of the pressing: wing backs pushing forward with real consistency and a high line that didn’t switch off even when the ball looked lost, closer to the front-foot version of Gasperini’s football than the more cautious, results-first team we mostly saw for long stretches last season.
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One match isn’t enough to declare a tactical shift official, but when what you watched lines up with what little hard data holds steady across sources, the signal still carries some weight.
Malen and Dybala are already speaking the same language
Donyell Malen closed the game with a hat-trick, in the 27th, 52nd and 60th minutes, and every single goal came from a Paulo Dybala assist. One player supplying all three assists for a Serie A hat-trick is rarer than you’d think: the last time it happened was May 2, 2021, when Rodrigo Palacio scored a treble for Bologna against Fiorentina off three assists from Emanuel Vignato, in a game that finished 3-3. Malen walked off with a perfect 10.0 Sofascore rating after just 68 minutes, subbed before full time because there was nothing left to prove.
Whether he could carry his form over from last spring was the question hanging over him all summer, and he seems to have answered it before September even started. Roma lined up in a 3-4-1-2, with Rodrigo Mora handed the number ten role on his debut and Dybala pushed up alongside Malen as a strike pairing rather than out wide, which makes the volume of service he still managed to produce for his strike partner more impressive, not less.
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With gaps in the back line, a few academy players filled in and demonstrated that Gasperini has more than one alternative to lean on once the fixture list gets crowded, which it will once European competition starts up again in September. It’s the kind of performance that makes you wonder whether the sportsbooks and bookmakers behind crypto casinos in Pakistan and beyond taking early action on Serie A futures will already be nudging Roma’s top-four price down a notch.
Mastantuono, Fiorentina’s marquee summer signing, remained their only real source of quality in the final third, isolated for long stretches, while Pellegrino barely saw a playable ball inside the box. The introductions of Kean and Oulai shortly after the hour mark tried to add some weight and unpredictability up front, but a single shot on target across ninety minutes is the kind of number that should worry a team with any real European ambition.
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