Paulo Dybala has been transcending the performances of his Roma teammates in his first few weeks with the club.
Roma knew when they signed Dybala on a free transfer in July that they were bringing in a player of higher pedigree than what they have been used to in recent years. Naturally, the Argentine attacker’s impact has been evident already.
From his first seven appearances for the club, Dybala has already notched up five goal contributions, with three goals and two assists to his name.
He recorded one of each category in a 2-1 win over Empoli on 12th September, the first time he had scored and assisted in the same Serie A game since August 2021, when he was with Juventus.
Many of his contributions in these early days of his Roma career have been pleasing on the eye as well, as he continues to go about backing up his reputation. Here, Giallorossi Yorkshire dissects all the goals and assists from Dybala so far, ranking them up to the most impressive.
5. Second goal against Monza
Dybala opened his Roma account on 30th August with a brace against Serie A newcomers Monza. The second of his goals that day showed a different side to his character, proving him as more than just a flair player.
Showing his determination, Dybala slid towards a loose ball after the opposition goalkeeper parried a Tammy Abraham effort towards his path. This was a gritty goal, but those can be just as meaningful as moments of star quality.
4. Assist against Juventus
As fate would have it, Dybala came up against his former club of seven years just three games into his first campaign since leaving them.
The pressure may have been on back in Turin on 27th August, especially when Roma went behind and were performing below standard. However, they clawed their way back into the game to earn a valuable point.
After a corner was swung in by Lorenzo Pellegrini but evaded those centrally in the box, Dybala acrobatically directed the ball back towards the danger area from beyond the backpost.
Slamming the ball into the ground on the volley, it followed an ideal trajectory to end up at the head of Abraham, who nodded it in to equalise.
Of course, the exact precision of Dybala’s assist could not have been completely by design, but he gave the ball the momentum it needed to keep a chance alive – and it led to a crucial goal.
3. Assist against Empoli
After two consecutive defeats, Roma needed a reaction against Empoli in mid-September. Fortunately, Dybala provided the spark of inspiration they needed.
The score was level in the second half after Empoli had cancelled out Dybala’s own opener, but the ex-Palermo star went on to tee up strike partner Abraham again to seal the 2-1 win.
Slid the ball by Zeki Celik on the right wing, Dybala bamboozled two markers in one go by cutting inside and chipping in a cross. This time, it fell nicely for Abraham’s feet, allowing the striker to finish first time.
Roma’s number 21 had provided the inspiration, with the side-on replays showing just how well he had directed the ball into a danger zone.
2. First goal against Monza
Many players have scored on their Roma debuts in the past, and while Dybala wasn’t one of them, he did manage to get off the mark within his first month on the pitch for his new club.
He opened his Roma account in some style, too. Latching onto a momentum-building Abraham header, Dybala had the best part of half the pitch to run. He managed to do so while keeping the bouncing ball under control – first using his thigh and then his feet – before finishing with his left foot across the goalkeeper.
It highlighted his outstanding technique, both in terms of ball control and hitting the target. Dybala made something that wasn’t particularly easy look like it was – and with it being his first goal for the club, generated even more enthusiasm about what is to come.
1. Goal against Empoli
After a first goal from the edge of the box and a second goal well inside it, Dybala expressed his talents further by scoring his third Roma goal from outside the area.
It was no secret that La Joya could be capable of scoring in such style; he had actually done so against Roma the season before. But it is much more pleasing to see him pulling off such feats for the club rather than against.
The inspiration that Roma required against Empoli came when Dybala found a pocket of space just outside the box. From that kind of territory, when given any kind of room he can exploit, he is dangerous.
Curling the ball in with a well-calculated effort, Dybala stunned the opposition and provided a much-needed boost to his own side. It was an early moment of magic from a special player, who provided the sense that he is just getting started.
It’s certainly feeling fun to have him on this side.
Leave a Reply