Gian Piero Gasperini insists Roma ‘would have just a few extra factors’ if Donyell Malen had arrived earlier within the season, as they’ve ‘regrets’ at
The Giallorossi had hoped they’d break their drought of wins in large video games, and had twice gone in entrance with targets from Malen, who has now scored 5 targets in his first 4 Serie A video games.
Commercial
Nevertheless, Napoli fought again each instances with a deflected Leonardo Spinazzola strike from distance, and Alisson Santos drilling in from the sting of the world.
Gasperini: ‘Malen very best striker for Roma’
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Donyell Malen of AS Roma celebrates after scoring his facet first aim in the course of the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 15, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photos)
“We regularly finish these video games with younger lads who have to develop, acquire expertise and character. These are elementary minutes in matches the place we want recent legs, which the youthful gamers do have, nevertheless it additionally means lacking out on expertise,”
Commercial
The January switch window has definitely modified the choices accessible for Roma, as this night Malen scored twice, together with on an help from Bryan Zaragoza making his first begin for the membership.
“I’ve at all times been satisfied Malen has the perfect traits for my fashion of soccer, as he’s an entire striker, he can get photographs away rapidly, is quick, can mix together with his teammates. It is a facet that wants a striker like him, who’s scoring often additionally as a result of we put him able to be constantly harmful.
“He’s solely been with us for 5 video games, so we are able to hold bettering I really feel, particularly if we get Dybala, Soulé or El Shaarawy again to full health, we will be extra aggressive.”
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Gian Piero Gasperini AS Roma head coach in the course of the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 15, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photos)
Commercial
Paulo Dybala, Manu Kone, Artem Dovbyk, Evan Ferguson and Stephan El Shaarawy didn’t make the journey, with Matias Soulé and Mario Hermoso not totally match.
Wesley was seen limping badly and with an ice pack strapped to his left ankle after profitable the penalty from Amir Rrahmani, nevertheless it was Malen who stepped up, regardless of not taking many spot-kicks in his profession.
“It was a vital penalty, however I had seen him in coaching, he takes good free kicks in addition to penalties. Milinkovic-Savic has saved a variety of penalties, so it was robust, however he hit it laborious and exact. Properly achieved,” revealed Gasperini.
NAPLES, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Gian Piero Gasperini AS Roma head coach earlier than the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AS Roma at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on February 15, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Picture by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Photos)
Commercial
This outcome means each Napoli and Roma surge forward of Juventus within the standings, now sitting third and fourth, regardless of not managing to win a single head-to-head conflict.
“We’ve had a optimistic perspective all through the season, which is why we’re fourth within the desk. I’m not afraid to say that if we’d had Malen within the first half of the season, we’d have just a few extra factors proper now, however the total strategy has at all times been the identical,” added Gasperini.
“We went very near outcomes in opposition to the large groups and stumbled on the final hurdle in lots of them. It has been higher within the second half of the marketing campaign, as a result of we held Milan and now Napoli to attracts, leaving each video games with regrets that we got here so near victory.”