“Personally, I’m less frustrated now. It happened; I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. So we move on,” Donyell Malen said after AS Roma's goalless draw with Como on Sunday. The red card came at an awkward moment for Roma, who slipped to third in Serie A and trailed Inter by two points. It also lands just before Real Madrid visit the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, with Jude Bellingham on the other side of the reunion.

Malen's restart before Madrid

Malen has made the move to Rome look easy in front of goal. He has six goals in six Serie A appearances this season, and 21 in 21 appearances across all competitions since joining Roma. Those six league goals have come in only 397 minutes, which explains why this feels like more than a stop-start forward trying to get back on track.

The Bellingham angle gives the tie a personal edge. “No, I haven’t spoken to him. I know him very well; we played together for a long time,” Malen said. The pair know each other from Borussia Dortmund, and Malen is not treating the reunion like a sideshow.

Roma's home edge and Madrid's mood

Malen also pointed to the setting. “When you play away, there are even more factors to consider. This time, however, we’re playing at home in front of our fans,” he said. “I believe they can give us tremendous support.” Wednesday will be Roma's first home Champions League match since 2019, and that return to the AS Roma crowd is central to the occasion.

Paulo Dybala made the same point in separate comments, saying, “when we play at home with the support of our fans, we will be able to give even more.” Roma are back in the competition for the first time since the 2018-19 season, and the home game arrives with them third in Serie A and still early in the league phase after one match.

Real Madrid have their own noise around the game. Aurélien Tchouaméni admitted, “For sure we have not played our best football since the start of the season. We talk, we work and for sure we are going to improve that,” while also saying the squad have a lot of frustration with refereeing decisions. They opened their Champions League campaign with a win over Inter, but they arrive in Rome with questions still hanging over the performances.

Malen has already given Roma a fast scoring start, and Wednesday gives him a chance to reset the story after Como. A sharp night against Madrid would do more for his standing than any apology ever could.

FAQ

Why is Donyell Malen using the Real Madrid match as a reset?

Malen was sent off in Roma's goalless draw against Como on Sunday, but he said, “Personally, I’m less frustrated now. It happened; I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. So we move on,” and wants to focus on the Champions League night at the Stadio Olimpico.

How important is Donyell Malen to Roma's attack right now?

Malen has six goals in six Serie A matches and 21 goals in 21 appearances across all competitions since joining Roma. He has scored those six league goals in only 397 minutes.

Why does Roma's home match against Real Madrid matter to Donyell Malen?

Malen said Roma will play at home in front of their fans against Real Madrid, adding that the support can give them “tremendous support”. Wednesday is Roma's first home Champions League match since 2019.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →