Total: “Thirteen goals since the end of January”
1 min readLast winter, former PSV forward Donyell Malen made the move on loan from Aston Villa to AS Roma. Since his arrival in the Italian capital, Malen has been in fine form in Serie A, and with his team he is still very much in the running for qualification for the Champions League.
Also last weekend, Malen with two goals of great value for the Roman side. Thanks in part to this, AS Roma won 2-3 away at Parma, meaning the battle for the Champions League has still not been decided.
The Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport has nothing but more than just praising words for the way Malen is doing now. 'More Malen, less Milan', the newspaper headlined.
The Italian sports newspaper gave Malen a 9 for his performance against Parma and also called him at this moment the best player on the European fields. ''His goals, repeated rushes, the powerful shots that bring to mind Batistuta. He scored the penalty with inhuman calm. Thirteen goals since the end of January: nobody in Europe is better than him'', said the outlet.
Malen himself was also relieved after the match with the victory, and the former PSV player said too that he was having an enormous time in Serie A. ''I'm incredibly happy to be here. The club is fantastic and here I can play my best football'', said the striker after the game to Sky Italia.
Earlier this month, Voetbal International already reported that the red club from Rome will inform the purchase option for the former PSV player and that Malen will therefore also be active in Italy next season.
Comments10
I like Malen's attitude, he clearly feels at home in Serie A.
It is a bit bitter watching a former PSV striker run around scoring, but fair play. If they activate the purchase option, we're basically looking at a long-term Roma threat, so good luck to them.
9 from Corriere and that quote about Batistuta and the penalty... they are going full hype. Still, I want to see if Roma can actually hold their nerve in the Champions League race, not just one weekend.
If Roma inform the purchase option soon, you can almost hear PSV fans debating whether the timing was right. Still, Corriere saying "nobody in Europe is better" might be hype, but the 9 rating is hard to ignore.
Honestly, 2-3 away win because Malen was on fire, that's the kind of stat that hurts a bit if you are thinking about what could have been at PSV. But good luck to him in Rome.
I'm happy for him. Also love that he said he can play his best football in Serie A, that sounds like the move suits him properly.
The Batistuta comparison is bold, but I get it. If he keeps that penalty calmness and those powerful shots, Roma are definitely going to stay in the Champions League race.
Two goals at Parma is exactly the kind of impact you want. The whole "More Malen, less Milan" headline is catchy too, makes it feel like he is single-handedly shifting momentum.
As a PSV fan I like seeing Malen do well, but that quote about being better than anyone in Europe feels a bit wild. Still, 13 goals since late January is serious business.
Honestly good for Malen. Two against Parma and that 13 goals since late January is mad numbers for a loan. Love to see a PSV guy take the next step, even if it's Roma.