Roma coach Luciano Spalletti was left frustrated after their 1-1 draw with Porto in last night's Champions League playoff first-leg.

Felipe's own goal seemed to put the Giallorossi on the right track, but Thomas Vermaelen saw red just 41 minutes into his competitive debut.

Under pressure for the entire second half, Roma emerged with a 1-1 draw from the Estadio do Dragao following Andre Silva's penalty.

“I am very happy with the performance. It was the first official match of the season and a pleasure in general to see them on the field," the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“If I have to be the Coach who analyses the match, something becomes fundamental. After taking the lead in the first half, we lost the ball cheaply by trying to force the situation when we could've invited Porto forward and make the most of the spaces.

“Instead we forced the situation and a team like ours cannot do that. We received cards that were avoidable and put us under extra pressure throughout the game.

“We started very well, always played the ball, fought hard and I really liked the team.

“From the outside it might look like a physical issue, but we lost the ball too easily for the quality we've got and handed the reins to Porto. I've said many times that physical duels, contrasts, keeping the ball and above all having to chase the ball can transform a match. That's what transformed Roma's season last term."