Paulo Dybala has decided to stay at Roma and will now have the opportunity to add to his excellent catalogue of goals for the club.
Dybala has scored 34 times for Roma across 78 appearances, giving him a goals-to-games ratio of about 0.44 (which is on par with Roberto Pruzzo, the club’s second highest-scorer of all time).
And while he has scored 14 penalties for Roma, many of the 20 other goals he has scored have been magnificent in a variety of ways.
This article was originally meant to be a top-10 ranking of his best goals for Roma, but it was just too hard to leave some out, so here is a ranking of every non-penalty goal Dybala has scored for the Giallorossi.
It was also meant to be a farewell piece, until the dramatic news that Dybala is staying at the club. So now, enjoy it as a celebration of Roma’s superstar.
All the goals are accompanied by videos from YouTube, which should play automatically from the moment of Dybala’s goal in question.
20. vs Cagliari (February 2024)
Dybala set himself on his way to a brace against Cagliari with a first-time finish in February 2024.
After a dummy by Romelu Lukaku, Dybala used the inside of his boot to finish in a composed fashion, putting Roma 2-0 up. He would later make it 3-0 with a penalty.
19. vs Fiorentina (January 2023)
Taking advantage of a stretched defence, a long ball by Bryan Cristante picked out Tammy Abraham, who squared the ball for Dybala to tap in with his left foot.
18. vs Brighton (March 2024)
Celebrations were muted when Dybala tucked the ball home near the start of Roma’s Europa League clash with Brighton, since most thought he was offside. But replays showed his position was legal, so the goal stood and his finish could be appreciated.
Expertly picked out by compatriot Leandro Paredes, Dybala took the ball wide of Brighton keeper Jason Steele with the outside of his boot and gave his side the advantage by slotting into the empty net.
17. vs Udinese (November 2023)
In a direct, piercing team move, Roma worked the ball to Dybala on the edge of the box. Once set up by Lukaku, the unmarked Argentine dribbled into a shooting position and slotted the ball home.
16. vs Monza (August 2022)
Dybala’s first two goals for Roma came against Monza in August 2022. While the first will earn a higher place on this ranking, the second deserved appreciation too.
Dybala is mainly known for his skilful finishes, but this goal showed his determined, battling side too, as he slid to get to the ball before the defender so he could bundle it into the net – and, uniquely in his Roma catalogue so far, with his right foot.
15. vs HJK (September 2022)
Dybala’s first European goal for Roma – and, actually, first ever Europa League strike – saw him break the deadlock early in the second half against Finnish side HJK.
After a lay-off by Lorenzo Pellegrini, Dybala took aim first time from the edge of the box and nestled his shot into the far bottom corner.
14. vs Torino (February 2024)
Dybala’s first hat-trick for Roma was against Torino in February 2024. It started with a penalty and ended with a double give-and-go with Lukaku before a smart, somewhat underrated left-footed effort across the keeper from the left-hand side near the bye-line.
13. vs Monza (March 2024)
Somewhat surprisingly, Dybala has only scored one free kick for Roma to date. It happened in March 2024, against Monza, when his effort was just too precise into the bottom corner for the keeper to reach.
12. vs Red Bull Salzburg (February 2023)
Down from the first leg in the Europa League knockout phase play-off with Red Bull Salzburg, Roma levelled the tie through Andrea Belotti and then took the aggregate lead via Dybala’s cushioned volley into the bottom corner from a Leonardo Spinazzola cross.
11. vs Empoli (September 2023)
The biggest win Dybala has been part of with Roma – in terms of the scoreline – was the 7-0 thumping of Empoli in September 2023. He had opened the scoring with a penalty and was later responsible for Roma’s fourth goal of the game.
Receiving the ball from Bryan Cristante on the edge of the box, there were shades of Francesco Totti as Dybala floored a defender while dribbling past him and calmly dispatching the ball into the net.
10. vs Sevilla (May 2023)
A moment where we all believed. Not many people can say they have put Roma in front in a European final, but Dybala did.
Slid in by an alert Gianluca Mancini – who had assisted Nicolo Zaniolo’s winner in the Europa Conference League final for Roma the year before – Dybala was one-on-one with Yassine Bounou and won the battle as the ball nestled in the net.
Regardless of the heartbreak that followed, Dybala’s opener in the Europa League final against Sevilla could have been one of his biggest contributions to the club.
9. vs Monza (August 2022)
The goal that got Dybala up and running in Roma colours. After an Abraham flick-on, Dybala timed his run well and had the whole space of the opposition half to attack. But it wasn’t easy.
Expertly bringing the ball down from high in the air with his thigh, Dybala kept it under control as he raced towards goal despite it bouncing and bobbling, before coolly firing into the goal.
File this one under: he made that look easier than it was.
8. vs Genoa (January 2023)
Dybala scored in the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia in both of his full seasons at Roma. The second year was a penalty against Cremonese, but the first year was a very admirable goal from open play against Genoa.
As Roma stepped up the tempo, their play ran through Dybala. In this instance, he instantly turned as he received the ball so he could face goal, before effectively dribbling away from three opponents and absolutely firing his shot away from a relatively tight angle despite losing his balance along the way.
It was enough to put Roma through to the next round.
7. vs Fiorentina (January 2023)
An example of Dybala’s skill with the ball in the air, his first goal against Fiorentina in January 2023 saw him latch onto a chested lay-off by Abraham before getting his body over the ball and volleying it past the keeper from the edge of the box.
His technique added a bit of swerve to the ball and although it took a nick off Nikola Milenkovic, the deflection wasn’t big enough to change the course of the shot and it still overcame the keeper.
6. vs Inter (October 2022)
Now we’re getting to the real gems. Dybala’s first Roma goal against another ‘big’ side was in October 2022 and helped Jose Mourinho’s side claim a rare win at San Siro against Inter.
After a cross-field ball by Spinazzola, Dybala volleyed the ball first time from wide in the box, its path becoming deceptive after the ball smashed into the ground, and it was powerful enough that Samir Handanovic couldn’t stop it.
It proved to be the equaliser in what would end up as a 2-1 triumph for Roma.
5. vs Empoli (September 2022)
You just don’t give a player like Dybala space on the edge of the box. Roma had learnt that lesson themselves during his Juventus days, but in the early stages of the 2022-23 season they were getting used to being the ones to benefit from his ability.
His first outside-the-box goal for Roma – and also his first away from home since joining the Giallorossi – was an example of him exploiting the fact he was unmarked and in shooting distance. Taking a touch to take the sting out of the ball as it rebounded towards him, Dybala set himself for a stunning strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.
4. vs Sassuolo (March 2023)
The first half of Roma’s clash with Sassuolo in March 2023 had been a bit of a calamity. 3-1 down by the break and reduced to 10 men, a comeback looked unlikely.
And indeed, they would not come out of the game with any points, but Dybala gave a glimmer of hope when halving the deficit in style early in the second half.
Teed up by Stephan El Shaarawy on the left wing, Dybala looped the ball goalward with a first-time effort that powerfully flew into the far corner of the goal.
Even the referee knew what was coming, as he ducked to get out of the ball’s trajectory!
3. vs Torino (February 2024)
The highlight of Dybala’s hat-trick against Torino in February 2024 was his second goal of the 3-2 win – and not just for his finish.
In a flowing team move by Daniele De Rossi’s side, Roma worked the ball through the pitch and, after some involvement in the build-up too, Dybala would be the player to put the finishing touches to the move.
From about 30 yards out, Dybala curled the ball into the bottom corner. It was a moment of magic that put Roma ahead and was ultimately chosen as the Giallorossi Yorkshire goal of the season for 2023-24.
2. vs Milan (April 2024)
The Torino goal earned that prize of goal of the season partly due to the whole involvement of the team, but in terms of individual technique by Dybala, his Europa League goal against AC Milan in April 2024 was arguably even more pleasing on the eye.
A goal that gets better with every different angle you see on a replay, Dybala arched the ball around the opposing obstacles as he struck the ball on his second touch.
From the right-hand side of the box, Dybala managed to pick out the bottom-left corner, giving Roma a three-goal aggregate lead to push them towards the semi-finals for a second season in a row.
1. vs Feyenoord (April 2023)
Many of Dybala’s goals recounted here have been majestic. Glittering demonstrations of his superior technical ability. And while the winner has a bit of that, it mainly sticks in the mind for other reasons.
Dybala wasn’t at Roma when their feud with Feyenoord began in the wake of the 2022 Europa Conference League final. But he soon stood out as a key player when the rivalry resumed in the following season’s Europa League.
Needing a spark of inspiration as the full-time whistle approached and one down on aggregate after conceding with just over 10 minutes left, Roma relied on Dybala, who dragged them through with the goal that took them to extra time.
This was Dybala at his toughest, most determined and, you could say, most transcendent for Roma.
Controlling the ball sublimely on the turn after Pellegrini’s pass, Dybala swivelled his marker and, while falling, got his shot away just in time – and with enough power for it to soar past Justin Bijlow.
Voted by fans as Roma’s goal of the season on official channels, this was the prime example of Dybala being a player for big moments at Roma and the goal that many supporters will hold dearest in their memories of him playing for the club.
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