Roma secured a convincing 0-2 victory away at Bologna, with Donyell Malen once again shining. The Dutch forward has now scored 12 goals since joining the Giallorossi on loan from Aston Villa in January.
After a draw in Bergamo, Roma returned to winning ways with a dominant first-half display at the challenging Stadio Dall’Ara. The decisive duo was Malen and El Aynaoui, who combined to break down the home side early on.
Just six minutes in, Roma took the lead following a high turnover by a resurgent Wesley, which set up Malen to finish from Neil El Aynaoui’s pass. The partnership proved too much for Bologna to handle.
Malen could have added more, but the Bologna defense, which appeared shaky at times, managed to deny the Dutchman on several occasions. Before halftime, El Aynaoui doubled the lead after a swift counterattack involving Malen and Wesley, with the Moroccan converting the assist from the striker.
From there, Roma held firm against Bologna’s attempts to salvage pride in a season far removed from their Coppa Italia triumph or their 2023-24 Champions League qualification campaign.
The win moves Roma up to fifth place, overtaking Como and closing to within two points of fourth-placed Juventus, currently occupying the final Champions League spot.