A strange start saw Honest Ahanor sent off for an off-the-ball incident involving Maximo Perrone, with replays showing the teenager slap the Como midfielder.
Gianluca Scamacca then threatened from a free-kick, but Jean Butez comfortably made a save.
Scamacca was later the sacrificial lamb for Atalanta as they sat in and absorbed a heap of Como pressure before half-time with 10-men.
Anastasios Douvikas was cleared of any injury concerns to start this one, and he really should have done better immediately after the red card was given, as he passed the ball wide in such a promising position.
Marco Carnesecchi denied Paz twice, with the second a particularly impressive save as he parried the powerful strike but only into the path of Perrone, who was then brilliantly blocked from close range.
La Dea’s goalkeeper was also able to stop Mergim Vojvoda’s forthcoming effort, while Jacobo Ramon was off target twice, as somehow, the score stayed level at the interval.
Como were given an early warning in the second half for all their wastefulness in the first as Kamaldeen Sulemana broke and, after a lovely piece of skill, forced Butez into a smart save.
Centre-back Ramon was unusually involved again for the hosts and was off target again with two separate efforts, the second of which he dragged wide in another decent position.
Nikola Krstovic then headed just wide at the other end as Como became more desperate to throw players forward and leave space behind them.
Alvaro Morata was brought on as an extra attacker to try and get the breakthrough, but Carnesecchi was again there to deny the home side.
He looked like he would not be beaten after yet another late save from Ramon, but all eyes were on him when Como were awarded a stoppage-time penalty for a Giorgio Scalvini handball. Paz stepped up but Carnesecchi saved it in dramatic fashion.
That ensured that Atalanta survived with a point, stretching their unbeaten league run to six games (W4, D2), and kept themselves on the shoulders of sixth-placed Como in seventh.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta)