malen stuns in rome with hat-trick
Rome, vrijdag, 10 april 2026.
dutch striker donyell malen scored a stunning hat-trick for as roma in their 3-0 win over pisa. all three goals came in a dominant performance at the stadio olimpico. malen now has ten goals in twelve serie a games since joining on loan from aston villa. he shares third place on the league’s top scorers list. only two players have more goals. malen is the fifth dutchman ever to score a serie a hat-trick. this puts him in rare company alongside faas wilkes, wim kieft, marco van basten and teun koopmeiners. his form makes him a strong contender for the oranje squad ahead of the upcoming world cup. roma sits sixth in the table, still in reach of a champions league spot under coach gian piero gasperini.
malen’s historic night in rome
Dutch forward Donyell Malen scored all three goals in AS Roma’s 3-0 home victory over Pisa at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday, April 10, 2026 [1]. His first strike came early in the 3rd minute following an assist from Devyne Rensch [2]. Malen added his second goal in the 43rd minute after sustained pressure by Roma, again assisted by Rensch [1]. The final goal arrived in the 78th minute, completed via a pass from Matías Soulé [2]. This hat-trick marks the first achieved by a player in the 2025–26 Serie A season [2].
top scorer ambitions realized
With the brace, Malen brings his Serie A tally to ten goals across twelve appearances since joining AS Roma on loan from Aston Villa in January 2026 [1]. He now jointly occupies third position on the league’s top scorers chart [1]. Only Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan with sixteen goals and Anastasios Douvikas of Como with eleven surpass him [1]. Other players level on ten goals include Rasmus Højlund, Keinan Davis, Kenan Yıldız, and Nico Paz, though they each face fixtures later in the matchweek [2]. Malen also scored once in European competition during this period [1].
rare feat among dutch legends
Malen becomes the fifth Dutch player in history to record a hat-trick in Italy’s top flight [2]. He joins esteemed compatriots Faas Wilkes, Wim Kieft, Marco van Basten, and most recently Teun Koopmeiners in achieving this milestone [2]. The achievement underscores Malen’s adaptation to the central striker role at Roma—a shift from his previous wide roles [1]. Under coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma employs quick wingbacks and supporting attackers, which has enhanced Malen’s scoring efficiency [1].
world cup hopes strengthened
Malen’s form strengthens his candidacy for the Netherlands national team ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in summer 2026 [2]. With Memphis Depay sidelined due to injury, head coach Ronald Koeman may consider Malen as a key attacking option [2]. Malen already has thirteen goals in fifty-one international caps [1]. He featured prominently in recent friendlies, playing seventy minutes as a lone striker against Norway on March 25, followed by twenty minutes on the right flank versus Ecuador four days later [1].
roma pushes for european football
Friday’s result lifts AS Roma to sixth place in the Serie A standings with fifty-seven points, level with Juventus who play Atalanta the next day [2]. Inter leads the table with fifty-eight points just ahead of Como [2]. Roma remains in contention for a UEFA Champions League berth near the season’s close [2]. Opponent Pisa continues to occupy the bottom position in the division, earning them the label of ‘last-placed team’ [1]. Despite being reduced defensively, including a missed chance off the woodwork by Malthe Højholt, no further goals were conceded thanks to goalkeeper Mile Svilar [2].