The world-class quality on show at the Parc de Princes on Wednesday night was not at the races as Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid could only muster up a goalless draw between them in the Champions League.
The visiting Spaniards saw the better of the first half, despite their hosts dominating, with youngster Jesé breaking through on goal midway through the opening period, only to see goalkeeper Kevin Trapp smother his effort well.
Cristiano Ronaldo had two headers well saved by the German stopper before the break, but it remained goalless to Madrid's frustration.
PSG were better after the restart, raising their performance levels significantly, but not significantly enough to put themselves ahead.
Edinson Cavani had a glorious early chance to give his team the lead, but he missed the target from close range, but it was Ronaldo who could have and should have won it with less than 20 minutes to go, firing wide from an angle with a fierce but inaccurate volley.
The spoils were shared in the end, meaning Real remain top of Group A on goal difference, with the two sides both having seven points from their opening three games.
Team news
Real Madrid made the trip to Paris with a depleted squad, missing many key players through injury. Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, James Rodriguez, Pepe and Dani Carvajal were all ruled out of the clash, meaning PSG would certainly fancy their chances of victory, especially on home soil.
As a result, youngsters Danilo, Casemiro, Lucas Vázquez and Jesé were all granted starting berths, with the latter two making up the front three with Ronaldo.
PSG only had David Luiz missing for the game, also through injury, meaning Marquinhos partnered compatriot Thiago Silva in the centre of defence.
At the other end, they had their desired front three available, unlike their opponents, meaning Madrid were facing a star-studded attack made up of former Madrid man Angel di Maria, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cavani.
Real the better side in an underwhelming first half
Despite things perhaps not going their way in terms of the fitness of personnel, Real started the game well and were immediately on the front foot.
The unlikely attacking trio that Rafael Benitez had almost been forced to deploy linked up well in the early stages - Ronaldo finding Jesé who just couldn't pick out Lucas Vázquez to finish and complete the move - whilst Marcelo drove forward from his left-back position and fired into the side netting.
Blaise Matuidi tested Keylor Navas in the visiting goal for the first time after 12 minutes, finding half a yard to strike on the edge of the box, but it hardly worked the Costa Rican who held with ease.
The first big chance was created on 25 minutes, falling to Jesé and the away side. Toni Kroos carved out the opportunity, his lovely disguised through ball finding the run of the young Spaniard, but PSG's Trapp was quick off his line and made himself big, able to save the attempted finish as a result.
Less than 10 minutes later, Marcelo found Ronaldo at the far post with a good cross, but it was just a bit behind the forward, who had to force his header into the ground, which made it more awkward for Krapp who had to concede a corner, from which he tipped another Ronaldo header over the bar.
The Spaniards really should have been ahead before the break though, a corner seeing both Ronaldo and Casemiro fail to scramble the ball into the back of the net in a crowded six yard box, the latter then forcing Trapp into another save moments later with an ambitious strike from range.
The hosts grew into the game more as the half progressed, but they were unable to really break through a stubborn Madrid back four who defended well both in open play and from set pieces, whilst transitioning well from the back into attack but being unable to produce much in the final third themselves.
With chances few and far between, the half came to an end goalless, with both needing their key players to produce something inspirational if they were to break the deadlock and take the lead in this tight encounter in the second period.
PSG much improved after restart, but deadlock remains
Surprisingly, based on the manner of the first half, the first chance after the restart fell to PSG, with their patient build up paying off this time as di Maria picked out Cavani's front post run with with a great cross, but the Uruguayan's stabbed effort was wide of the mark, to his utmost frustration.
Though the first half was largely PSG dominated with Real just the most productive on the counter, the French side had more threat about them in the second period, despite taking the same approach.
The tempo was faster, the play slicker, and the movement better, with Madrid having to think a little more at the back and being drawn into fouls in dangerous positions as a result of their opponents' improvements.
A header over the bar from Ibrahimovic followed the passing of the hour mark, whilst di Maria saw his shot deflect into the arms of Navas after he cut inside from the right to try his luck just inside the area.
Intensity rises as full time whistle nears, but neither can do enough to win it
The deadlock should have been broken with 73 minutes gone, and one would have expected to have been too when the ball fell kindly to Ronaldo to hit sweetly on the volley across Trapp. However, the FIFA World Player of the Year was uncharacteristically wasteful as he lashed his effort wide of the mark as Marco Verratti desperately got back onto his goalline to block any on target strike that might have beaten his 'keeper.
At the other end, substitute Lucas Moura headed Serge Aurier's teasing cross over the bar as chances started to come much thicker and faster.
With things getting desperate, things got slightly heated too as Verratti began to walk a thin line, diving in with his studs up whilst on a booking to dispossess Denis Cheryshev - with the fact that he got part of the ball in a dangerous tackle perhaps the only thing that prevented him from being dismissed.
Dissent grew as frustration rose and the two teams pondered the worth of risking a point for all three, with PSG looking the more likely to nick it as they piled the pressure on Real's box.
However, it remained goalless after three added minutes, with both cancelling each other out in a tight encounter that lacked real quality, despite the talent on show.
The visitors will be the happier with the point, missing so many big names, but had the better chances in the game so will be feeling mixed emotions in the aftermath of this match.
Both remain unbeaten and yet to concede a goal in Europe's most prestigious competition this season, with the Spaniards at the top of Group A due to their superior goal difference.