Malen's hat-trick and Dybala's hat-trick of assists set the tone for Roma's opening-day statement at the Stadio Olimpico, with Niccolò Pisilli adding a fourth off the bench late on. Speaking to DAZN afterwards, Dybala was quick to deflect attention onto his strike partner.
"It's right that he takes it all home, he's scored three goals," the Argentine said when asked about setting up Malen so consistently.
Dybala also reflected on his decision to remain at Roma this summer amid interest from elsewhere.
"I really wanted to play, today the stadium was incredible. There was always a desire to stay, I gave my all to be here today and play under the coach's orders," he said.
Asked how many goals he expects Malen to score this season, Dybala kept his answer simple: "I hope more than last year, the right ones to help us finish higher up." On whether Roma's third-place finish last season could be improved upon, he added: "Definitely, we'll work to do more."
The forward also had a lighter moment to share, revealing he had swapped shirts with Fiorentina debutant Franco Mastantuono.
"A great lad, he can do well and that showed today," Dybala said.
Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini was similarly effusive when discussing Dybala's importance to the club, speaking separately to Sky.
"Paulo is an extraordinary player, of absolute world class. Last year was unlucky for him because of some very rare injuries. But he's had a top-level pre-season and he's producing performances that match his true value," Gasperini said. "He wanted to stay in Rome, he even reduced his contract to help the club with its finances, and we have to give him credit for that — just as we do for the players who did everything to come here, like Mora."
Gasperini reserved special praise, too, for the qualities of Rodrigo Mora, who made his AS Roma debut in the win.
"When he touches the ball, something beautiful always seems to happen," the head coach said.
Asked whether Roma could be considered genuine title contenders after their opening-day statement, Gasperini was measured.
"We can't talk about that after just one matchday. We need to know our opponents well — that's unavoidable. I'm very happy with how we're going, with the squad I have and with functional players," he said.
The manager was also pressed on the club's newest arrivals, praising Emanuele Lulli's composed full debut on the right side of defence and pointing to the impact of a settled group entering its second season together.
Building on the foundations laid the previous year, Gasperini suggested, has allowed new signings to integrate far more quickly than would otherwise have been possible, with results already showing on the pitch after a single round of fixtures.