Donyell Malen shines with a hat-trick and heads to the World Cup in top form with the Netherlands national team

Malen Roma Pisa Serie A

Donyell Malen delivered a decisive hat-trick as AS Roma defeated Pisa 3-0 on Friday, keeping the sixth-placed Giallorossi firmly in the race for a Champions League spot.

The Netherlands international opened the scoring in the third minute, dribbling into the box before firing home. He doubled the lead two minutes before half-time, finishing from close range after a pass from Devyne Rensch, and Lorenzo Pellegrini had earlier hit the crossbar with a free-kick.

DONYELL MALEN! De spits heeft 3 minuten nodig om de eerste tegen de touwen te schieten #ZiggoSport #SerieA #RomaPisa

He then completed his treble shortly after the interval, finishing coolly after being set up by Matias Soule. Malen now has eleven goals in fourteen appearances for Roma and sits third in the Serie A scoring chart with ten of those strikes. Only Lautaro Martínez (16 goals for Inter) and Anastasios Douvikas (11 goals for Como) have scored more.

Malen joined Roma on loan from Aston Villa in January, and the club can secure his services permanently for €25 million if they reach Europe; he moved from Borussia Dortmund to the Premier League for the same fee in January 2025.

His treble will also boost his hopes of more minutes with the Netherlands, for whom he played 70 minutes in a 2-1 win over Norway at the end of March. Four days later, however, Ronald Koeman replaced him after just 15 minutes, switching tactics following Denzel Dumfries’ red card and introducing Lutsharel Geertruida.

In total, he has 13 goals in 51 caps and was included in the squads for Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, though Louis van Gaal omitted him from the 2022 World Cup party.