Roma misses chance to go top after Malen sees red
Roma missed the chance to go back to the top of the Serie A table as Donyell Malen was sent off in a 0-0 draw with Como.
Both sides had chances in a lively first half, but Malen's late challenge and resulting sending-off put Roma on the back foot, though Como could not find a late winner.
Jean Butez held Paulo Dybala's tame first-time shot before Nico Paz went down the other end and attempted to chip Pierluigi Gollini, who smothered the chance.
The end-to-end opening continued as Lorenzo Pellegrini dug out a curler on the edge of the box, but it clipped the outside of the right post.
Maxence Caqueret piled the pressure on Gianluca Mancini, who could not get any purchase on his clearance, but the Frenchman fizzed his low effort narrowly wide.
Malen then raced onto a long ball to round Butez, but the angle was against him on the right of the box, and he could only find the side netting.
The Dutchman's game came to an end in the 53rd minute; he held off two challenges during a driving run through Como's half but then leapt into a tackle on Kaiki after losing control of the ball, and the referee went straight to his pocket for the red card.
Como aimed to make its numerical advantage count. Maximo Perrone blazed over, and Tasos Douvikas lashed into the side netting before Gollini acrobatically kept out Paz's snap-shot from the edge of the box.
Cesc Fabregas's side kept pushing, with Jesus Rodriguez drilling a low strike just past the post as Como had to settle for a point.
Donyell Malen
AS Roma
