Roma, Playing with Fewer Men, Draws with Como

Roma, playing with ten men, secured a goalless draw away at Como, completing more than half an hour of the match with a numerical disadvantage in the sixth round of the Italian Serie A.

The capital club had hoped to stay within one point of Inter, who defeated Parma 2-0 on Saturday, but remained two points behind them (16 vs. 14), while Como moved up to 11 points.

This marked Roma’s third draw in their last four matches across all competitions.

The point could be considered satisfactory for manager Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, given that they played with ten men since the 53rd minute, following a straight red card for Dutch striker Donny van de Beek after a harsh challenge on Brazilian player Caique.

Despite Como’s numerous attempts to break the deadlock by exploiting the numerical advantage, Roma kept a clean sheet, maintaining their status as the league’s second-best defense, temporarily sharing the spot with Lazio (3 goals conceded), after Cagliari (2).

The team now faces a daunting task against their former manager Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League, following a disappointing opening defeat to Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Meanwhile, Como, participating in the Champions League for the first time, will host Dutch side Feyenoord after their convincing 4-1 first-round victory over Austrian club RB Leipzig.

Roma came close to opening the scoring when captain Lorenzo Pellegrini struck from the edge of the penalty area, but the shot hit the post (11th minute).

Van de Beek missed a chance before halftime, firing wide from a narrow angle.

Later, goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini made saves against two attempts from Pas (70th and 77th minutes), as Cesc Fabregas’s side failed to secure a win despite dominating possession.