Swansea spent 89 minutes with reduced numbers after Neil Taylor saw red after a one minute in the scoreless draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Swans boss Brendan Rodgers was pleased with the Welsh teams showing as Forest struggled to break down 10 men.
"I'm very proud of my players, they were absolutely outstanding," said Rodgers. "We knew it was going to be an emotional game but to lose a man so early was incredible.
"I thought our shape was outstanding. We kept our shape and I felt sorry for Stephen Dobbie as he was looking forward to playing here but we had to quickly reshuffle and get organised and I thought we were absolutely outstanding.
"We didn't look like we had 10 men and that's a big credit to the players. Tactically we were brilliant. It was a great performance and I thought we had great control of the game without the ball.
"I think you've seen the steel in my team and the belief, and that's something that we've got. We had to show resilience and I am very proud of my players."
Rodgers added: "But we do a lot of work on overloads in training, playing 11 against 10 and nine against 11 and so on.
"The mindset when we're defending, especially in our half, is that we have the numerical advantage. Even when we're down to 10 men, when we defend in our blocks with defenders and midfielder and wingers tucking in, we have nine against eight.
"That's the work we do because when teams lose a man they go all emotional about being outnumbered, and you're not.
"But all our hard work will count for nothing if we don't finish the job on Monday night.
"We've put ourselves in a great position and that's all we wanted to do because we are so confident at home, but we are certainly not arrogant or disrespecting anyone.
"However, I sensed a few of their players were disappointed afterwards and probably a bit frustrated, but that's only because my players were so good."
On the decision to send Taylor off, Rodgers added: "I can see why they have given it. The ball has bounced up and he is stretching for it a little bit and there is contact.
"I think the emotion of a game like this has probably influenced the referee but I can understand it and I'm not going to cry about it."
Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies is hoping Swansea pay for their exertions in the second leg.
"Although I think it was a red card, at the time I was disappointed because I knew they would start defending deeper and that wouldn't help us," said Davies.
"Having been a 10-man team and played against 10 men on many occasions, it becomes very difficult and in the first half we were pedestrian and too slow. The second half was much better, we had several chances and we just needed a goal.
"But I said before the game, win lose or draw, it is only half-time, and that is still the case. There is still lots to play for and I am full of optimism for the second game. It is still a very open game that can go either way.
"I think physically they will be the more tired.
We knew we should have got a goal or two, but I will not need to lift these players at all. This game was never going to be over at half-time in the tie.
"Big credit to Swansea for the way they played with 10 men, but it was a big physical ask of them."
