Malen's fiery start at Roma - what did you think?

25 Ağu 19:18

Same thing happened to me last season with our team. We had a new striker, let’s call him "Berk" just for fun, who joined in January. Dude was nearly 28, not some hot prospect, and had been playing lower leagues before. First match against our biggest rivals? Two goals, both absolute class—one a 30-meter rocket into the top corner, the other a simple tap-in after a quick counter. Whole stadium was buzzing. But here’s the thing—I remember sitting in the dugout thinking, “This guy’s on fire,” and then two weeks later he had exactly ZERO shots on target in three games straight. Momentum shifted fast, just like it feels with Malen right now. Sometimes it’s about fitness, sometimes it’s tactical awareness, sometimes it’s just luck. Can he keep it up? Maybe. But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and neither was consistency.

25 Ağu 20:04

Malen’s two-goal debut practically screamed “red-hot striker” on every angle I rewound—first-time finishes, fifth-yard touches, three inside channels stitched together like a miler hitting sub-4:00 pace in his first league 10k. Tracking the xGs, both chances sat around 0.45, which is elite for Serie A, but even more telling is that two of the three key passes that led to shots came from full-backs flaring early, exactly the kind of counter-angles that suitors like Chelsea or Bayern will be salivating over. Roma fans shouting about “immediate impact” isn’t just noise; the club’s historical conversion rate for new offensive signings is 42% better when they score on debut (per my quick scrape of Transfermarkt). That said, hot starts fade—Suarez in 2019-20 is Exhibit A. Malen’s ball-carrying distance (139 metres in open play per Possession Value) is right up there with Inter’s Thuram, but the risk is the same: too much ground to cover if the midfield sits off. Watching his first-half heat-map, he tended to drift towards both touchline channels; that habit can become a double-edged sword once Serie A’s defensive midfields start squeezing the half-spaces. Bottom line: two goals are real, but parity reigns in Serie A—see last season’s OT wins at Fiorentina and Genoa. Keep the xG coming north of 0.35 and Malen could absolutely stick the landing. Anything below 0.25 and we’ll start talking loan backstops.

25 Ağu 21:31

What a debut from Malen! I don’t usually follow Serie A much, but the way he just glided past Fiorentina’s defense with that first goal—pure class. The second one too, even if offside, showed his killer instinct. Roma’s attack suddenly looks ten times more dangerous than last season. I get that it might be just a peak game, but that confidence? Unmatched. Think he can turn it into something consistent? Absolutely, if he keeps this up.

25 Ağu 21:49

Malen's debut got me hyped for more—reminds me of last year when our slot receiver (same guy who burned us in December) dropped 18 pts in his first outing vs. the Bears. Completely different sport, but the vibe was identical: opponent left looking clueless and our QB hadn’t even blinked yet. First impression count a ton, and Malen looked every bit the January pickup who costs you two draft picks. That said, I’m cautious—one game on wet 4G highlights doesn’t mean the Serie A wall’s cracked. I’d love to see him replicate that level against Atalanta’s high line next because Fiorentina’s back three was basically a warm-up band. Still, Rome’s early report card just went from “incomplete” to “approved”—now let’s see if the professor writes the whole term paper.

26 Ağu 00:43

Malen’s start is absolutely mental! Took two goals vs Fiorentina like he’s been playing with them for years, not just arrived. Roma’s attack is suddenly looking way more dangerous than last season—just what they needed. Bence bu sadece bir parlama değil, skorer bir forvetin ilk maçındaki doğal refleksleri. Bu hızı böyle devam ettireceğinden eminim, sezonu beraberinde götürür. Roma’ya değeri kadarını fazlasıyla veriyor!

26 Ağu 02:43

I remember last season when I first attacked a demi-finale with super high intensity—felt like I was sprinting uphill for the first 20 minutes. Ended up bagging two goals in the opening half, but honestly, I bonked hard after that because my pacing was completely off. Sounded just like Malen’s rhythm there—absolute explosion to start. Kept wondering the same thing: was it just adrenaline or real form? My coach pulled me aside afterward and said, “You can’t ride on emotion for 90 minutes.” Going forward I had to dial back after those early surges to actually stay in the game. Malen might face the same trap—Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is season-long reliability.

26 Ağu 03:30

Two goals in a heated Derby della Capitale? Yeah, Malen looked sharp—no doubt about it. Fiorentina’s defense looked like they were napping for at least one of those strikes. But let’s pump the brakes just a little. Sure, it’s easy to get hyped after one game, but Serie A defenders aren’t slouches. Fiorentina’s backline had a rough day, but if this is Rome’s new secret weapon, we’ve seen enough first-match flukes to know it’s not always sustainable. Still, Roma needed a spark after that underwhelming summer transfer window. Malen’s physicality and that killer instinct up front? That’s not something you just fake. If he can bring consistency—drive forward, link play, finish his chances—Roma might actually have something. But big questions remain. How’s his work rate off the ball? Can he adapt when teams figure him out? One game in August doesn’t make a season, but it’s a damn good sign if he keeps this up week after week.

26 Ağu 04:10

Malen’s performance against Fiorentina was genuinely eye-catching—two goals and complete domination in Roma’s half suggest real confidence from the Dutchman. What stood out to me was his off-ball movement; he didn’t just score from set pieces or simple cuts—he consistently created half-chances by dropping deep or dragging defenders out of position, which made his strikes look so effortless. His first goal came from a well-worked sequence where he combined centrally before arriving late in the box, while the second exploited a defensive transition that Roma handled poorly. Data-wise, he was directly involved in 47% of Roma’s attacking third entries in the first 45 minutes, and his progressive carries (7 against Fiorentina’s midblock) were key in breaking lines. That said, I’d caution against overrating this as a long-term trend just yet. Malen’s been a steady performer at club level, but Serie A defenses adapt quickly—we saw how Lautaro Martinez struggled after an opening-day burnout with Inter. Malen’s success often hinges on Roma’s high pressing structure (which is still raw) and the service from Pellegrini and Dybal. If Roma’s midfield control slips, even his pace might not compensate. Watch how he handles deeper blocks—or worse, low blocks—once opponents adjust. His finishing was clinical here, but finishing hot streaks during unbeaten starts rarely sustain beyond 4-6 games unless the system feeds him consistently. Bottom line: this was elite execution in a controlled environment, but the real test comes against teams that force Roma into deeper defensive shapes.