Roma secured a third-place finish in Serie A and qualified for the Champions League after beating relegated Hellas Verona 2-0, with Donyell Malen scoring again for the Giallorossi.
Roma secured third place in Serie A and confirmed their return to the UEFA Champions League with a composed 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona.
The result continued Roma’s excellent end-of-season form, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side now winning six of their last seven league matches.
The opening half was a tense and closely contested affair. Roma dominated possession for long periods but struggled to carve open a disciplined Verona defence that remained compact and aggressive out of possession.
🔚 It’s all over! Roma win against Verona and qualify for the Champions League 🏆#ASRoma #VeronaRoma pic.twitter.com/GeoKdoyojE
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) May 24, 2026
Verona still posed a threat on the counterattack and frustrated the visitors with energetic pressing throughout the first 45 minutes. Paulo Dybala looked Roma’s most dangerous attacking outlet, constantly searching for spaces between the lines as the hosts worked hard to contain him.
Roma knew a draw would likely be enough to secure a top-four finish regardless of results elsewhere, although Como’s advantage in their own match increased the pressure slightly before half-time. Even so, the Giallorossi remained calm and continued to control the tempo of the game.
The match turned decisively in Roma’s favour early in the second half when Verona defender Nicolas Valentino was shown a second yellow card, reducing the home side to 10 men and giving the visitors far more space to exploit.
Just minutes later, Roma were awarded a penalty after Kieron Bowie handled the ball inside the area. Donyell Malen saw his initial spot-kick saved, but reacted quickest after Dybala returned the loose ball into the danger area, allowing the Dutch forward to score once again.
With the numerical advantage and lead secured, Roma completely controlled the remainder of the contest. Verona struggled to regain any attacking momentum as the visitors comfortably managed possession and pushed for a second goal to kill the game off.
That decisive second strike eventually arrived through Stephan El Shaarawy, who finished confidently to secure all three points and officially send Roma into next season’s Champions League.
✨ Back where the stars shine
Nice to see you again, @ChampionsLeague #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/pLqQoUF8sp— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) May 24, 2026
Verona, meanwhile, finish a disappointing campaign in 19th place and will now prepare for life in Serie B after relegation was already confirmed before the final round of fixtures.
