Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini praised the "clarity and order" his side showed in defence after being reduced to 10 men in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Como.
Gasperini thrilled with 'clarity and order' from 10-man Roma
Roma were forced to defend hard to secure a point against Como on Sunday, after Donyell Malen was sent off in the second half.
Roma missed the chance to reclaim top spot in Serie A after Donyell Malen was sent off in the 53rd minute for a late challenge on Kaiki, though Como could not make the most of their advantage.
Malen had earlier struck the side netting while attempting to round Jean Butez, while Paulo Dybala saw a tame first-time effort saved by the Como goalkeeper.
Lorenzo Pellegrini also struck the post with a superb curling effort before the break, while Como pushed hard for a winner in the second, with Pierluigi Gollini denying a strong Nico Paz snap-shot before Jesus Rodriguez fired wide of the target.
"This is our disappointment, because I clearly don't know how the match would have ended, but it seemed to me like we were pretty confident we had a good chance," Gasperini told reporters.
"So we were forced to defend, and we did so with great clarity and order. It's clear that when you play 30 minutes with ten men, you come away with a draw, and that's fine too.
"Unfortunately, I have to say that in the first half we had some excellent scoring opportunities.
"Como even had a couple of important ones, but I think we gave the impression we could take the lead.
"It's clear that if you play 30 minutes of 90 minutes with ten men, it means you've played two-thirds of the game against a strong team like Como with an even number of men."
Indeed, Roma's attack was certainly blunted on this occasion, with the Giallorossi managing just nine shots – their lowest in a Serie A match this season.
But Gasperini will take encouragement from another resolute defensive display, with Roma recording their fourth clean sheet of the campaign – more than any other Serie A side. In fact, the Giallorossi have not conceded a first-half goal in any of their last 11 league matches.
Como, meanwhile, have equalled their best-ever start to a Serie A campaign, adjusted for three points per win. Cesc Fabregas' side have collected 11 points from their opening six matches, matching their tally from 1950-51.
"We didn't make the most of the extra man, including with our possession, as we should’ve had more patience and moved the ball around faster," Fabregas conceded.
"This team is young, but still managed to avoid conceding any counter-attack situations, so in that sense it is positive."
