Donyell Malen’s clinical brace powered Roma to a controlled 2–0 victory over Cagliari on Monday, moving Gian Piero Gasperini’s side level on points with fourth-placed Juventus in the Serie A standings.
The Dutch forward, who joined Roma on loan from Aston Villa in January, has quickly made his impact felt. Signed to add penetration and pace to Roma’s attacking play, Malen provided both in decisive fashion, underlining his value as the club pushes for a return to the Champions League.
Roma broke the deadlock after 25 minutes when Malen exploited space on the right, driving a tight-angled finish into the roof of the net. He doubled the advantage midway through the second half, timing his run perfectly to latch onto a through ball before calmly finishing one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
The result takes Roma to 46 points, level with Juventus, who missed the opportunity to consolidate fourth place after dropping points in a home draw with Lazio on Sunday. With 14 matches remaining, the battle for Champions League qualification is finely balanced.
At the top of the table, Inter Milan remain clear leaders on 58 points, eight ahead of city rivals AC Milan. Napoli sit third on 49 points and will host Roma next weekend in a fixture that could have significant implications for the top-four race.
Roma’s recent European history includes winning the UEFA Conference League and reaching the Europa League final, but they have not appeared in the Champions League since the 2018–19 season, when they were eliminated by Porto in the last 16. This season’s league position suggests a genuine opportunity to end that absence.
Elsewhere on Monday, Atalanta continued their steady run of form with a 2–1 win over struggling Cremonese. Goals from Nikola Krstovic and Davide Zappacosta inside the opening 25 minutes put Atalanta in control, though Morten Thorsby’s stoppage-time strike ensured a nervous finish.
The victory extends Atalanta’s recent sequence to three wins and two draws from their last five matches, leaving them two points behind sixth-placed Como in the race for a UEFA Conference League spot.
