Como 0‑0 AS Roma: Ten-man visitors hold out after Malen red card
AS Roma held Como to a 0-0 draw after Donyell Malen was sent off in the 53rd minute. Como finished with 66% possession and 19 shots but could not turn their…
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AS Roma survived Donyell Malen’s 53rd-minute dismissal to leave Como with a 0-0 draw, preserving their unbeaten league record despite playing more than half an hour with 10 men. Como had the greater share of possession and attempts, but their chance to beat the second-placed visitors ended in Serie A’s first goalless draw of the season.
Gasperini Rallenta al Sinigaglia | COMO-ROMA | HIGHLIGHTS | SERIE A ENILIVE 2026/27
The sides reached the interval without a goal, with Assane Diao receiving a yellow card in first-half stoppage time. Marten de Roon was then booked in the 46th minute, before the match’s decisive disciplinary incident arrived seven minutes later.
Malen received a red card for a foul with the score still 0-0. His dismissal left Gian Piero Gasperini’s side a player short for the remainder of the match and gave Como a numerical advantage with substantial time left to find a breakthrough.
That opportunity did not become a goal. Como finished with 19 shots against Roma’s nine, while their 66% possession underlined how much more of the ball they had across the match. Those figures establish the hosts’ greater attacking volume, even though the final score rewarded neither side.
The distinction between attempts and efforts on target was important. Only four of Como’s 19 shots were on target, compared with two of Roma’s nine. A gap of 10 in total attempts therefore amounted to a difference of just two shots on target, limiting the value of the hosts’ greater volume.
Como also won six corners to Roma’s two. Taken together, the possession, shooting and corner totals explain why the home side will view this as an opportunity left unconverted: they had more of the ball, more attempts and an extra player from the 53rd minute, yet finished with one point rather than three.
For Roma, keeping the match goalless after Malen’s dismissal was the central achievement. Their own nine attempts and two shots on target did not produce an away winner, but conceding nothing ensured that the red card did not turn a level match into a defeat.
Both sides had started with different formations: Como in a 4-2-3-1 and Roma in a 3-4-2-1. The dismissal changed the numerical balance rather than the score, and the visitors completed the match without allowing Como to make that advantage count on the scoreboard.
Roma’s disciplinary problems continued after the sending-off. Manu Koné received a yellow card in the 57th minute, followed by Matías Soulé in the 62nd. Those bookings added to De Roon’s caution, leaving the visitors with three yellow cards as well as Malen’s red.
Martin Baturina was booked in the 90th minute, taking Como’s total to two yellows. Both teams committed nine fouls, despite the difference in their card totals. Roma were also caught offside three times, while Como recorded no offsides.
The draw extended Como’s unbeaten home run to five matches. Their results at home remain a solid part of their season, although this match presented a specific opening to add another victory: more than half an hour against 10 men, with the score level throughout.
Roma’s away record now stands at two wins and one draw, without a defeat. This was a different return from their previous away victories, but it maintained that unbeaten start on the road despite the dismissal.
The result also brought the first draw in the five meetings between these clubs since August 2024. Como and Roma have two wins apiece over that sequence, with Sunday’s goalless match leaving their recent head-to-head record level.
Best moments: The official Serie A YouTube channel has published “Como Halt Ten-Men Roma | COMO-ROMA | HIGHLIGHTS | Serie A 2026/27”. Malen’s 53rd-minute red card was the key turning point in a match that finished without a goal.
Como are sixth with 11 points from six matches, five behind leaders Inter. Roma remain second on 14 points, two off the lead, and host Genoa next; they carry an unbeaten away record into that fixture, while Como leave this meeting with their home streak intact but a numerical advantage unconverted.
Questions
Why did AS Roma finish with 10 players?
Donyell Malen was sent off for a foul in the 53rd minute, with the score at 0-0. Roma played the rest of the match a player short.
Where does the draw leave Como and AS Roma in Serie A?
Como are sixth with 11 points from six matches, five behind leaders Inter. AS Roma are second with 14 points from six matches, two behind Inter.
Who do AS Roma play next?
AS Roma host Genoa next.
What is a goalless draw?
A goalless draw is a match that finishes 0-0. Neither team scores, and each earns one league point. Como against AS Roma was Serie A’s first goalless draw of the season.
