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Why did Malen take the penalty in the Como v Roma match instead of Pellegrini?

The decision to make a tactical substitution came from the bench

Roma lost 2-1 in a crucial Champions League qualification clash against Como, but apart from the second yellow card shown to Wesley in the second half (which infuriated Gasperini and others), it was the penalty scored by Malen in the first half that sparked the most debate among fantasy managers. The designated penalty taker is, in fact, usually Lorenzo Pellegrini, and the midfielder was not only on the pitch but had initially positioned himself on the spot.

So what happened and why did Malen take the penalty?

WHAT HAPPENED
A mistake in Como’s defence sees El Shaarawy beat Diego Carlos to the ball in the penalty area. The Como defender plants his foot on the ground to make the tackle and deflects the ball, but then brings the Italian down. Massa awards a penalty

PELLEGRINI WITH THE BALL IN HIS HAND DURING THE CHECK
During the brief penalty spot check, with the ball in his hands, Lorenzo Pellegrini – the Giallorossi’s long-standing penalty taker – stepped up, just as expected. At that moment, however, a clear message came from the bench.
The advice given by Cristante to Pellegrini
As reported by *Corriere dello Sport*, Bryan Cristante, the captain for the day, approached Pellegrini with a clear message relayed to him from the bench. A simple name: Donyell Malen, to whom the ball was to be handed for the penalty. Pellegrini then turned towards the bench to seek confirmation of the change of penalty-taker and, upon receiving an affirmative reply, took the ball and handed it to the Dutchman, who then sent Butez the wrong way to make it 1-0.