Malen believes the tactical approach of Italian teams creates a different challenge for attackers compared with the more open games he experienced in the Premier League.
The Roma forward discussed the contrast during an appearance on the Tutto in Piazza podcast, pointing to the defensive structures used by Serie A sides as one of the biggest differences.
“I think the way some teams set themselves up on the pitch is completely different compared with England. That is the main difference,” Malen said.
He expanded on the point by describing how Italian opponents can make space difficult to find, particularly when they defend with a compact back five.
“Some teams organise themselves differently. For example, they know how to defend with five players and build a very compact defensive block, which becomes difficult to get past. It is a big difference from England, where teams tend more towards man-to-man defending and attacking, with more open matches. It is not always like that here.”
The comments offer an insight into the adjustments Malen has had to make as he settles into Italian football. Against well-organised defences, attackers can have less room to exploit and must find different ways to create openings.
Malen also faced a more personal question during the interview: whether he or Inter captain Lautaro Martínez would score more goals.
The Dutchman backed himself, although he was quick to stress that his contribution to Roma should not be measured solely by his finishing.
“I would say me, but I am not focused only on goals. I want to help this team and this club. For me, it is not just about scoring. It is very easy to talk about the goals scored, but a player can do many other things to help the team.”
Martínez is an established reference point in Serie A, having scored prolifically for Inter and accumulated considerable experience in the Italian game. Malen acknowledged the Argentine's standing while explaining what he sees as the main distinction between them.
“I think he is a great player, very strong. He has scored so many goals with Inter and played a lot of matches in the Italian league. I would therefore say the main difference is experience.”
Malen's answer combined confidence with an acknowledgement of the work required to establish himself. He is willing to back his own scoring ability, but his wider ambition is to contribute to AS Roma in different phases of play rather than judge his season by the goals column alone.