Atletico Madrid were made to rue their missed chances as they were held to a goalless draw by PSV Eindhoven in the first-leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
The visitors should have been ahead at the break, Antoine Griezmann was denied by a superb save from Jeroen Zoet.
PSV were reduced to 10-men after referee Daniele Orsato sent Gaston Pereiro off after he jumped into countryman Diego Godin.
Atletico have failed to score in four of their six games in the competition so far this season, but could have been ahead early on in the game.
Deadlock almost broken early on
Luciano Vietto latched onto a long ball from the back and after he neatly dinked the ball over the advancing keeper, Jeffrey Bruma scrambled the ball off the line.
Jurgen Locadia appeared to have been fouled in the area five minutes later, but the appeals were waved away to the home sides disappointment.
Another long ball from the back caught the PSV back line out once more on 19 minutes, and after Koke burst through, his attempted lob was caught by Zoet.
A first-half of very little chances came to life for a two-minute period around the half-hour mark, with both sides having great chances to open the scoring.
Griezmann and Pereiro go close
Griezmann, who has scored four goals in the Champions League so far this season, tried to dink his shot over the advancing Zoet, but the keeper spread himself well and denied the forward.
Down at the other end the hosts had their only chance of the half, a brilliant break, which started at the back, almost paid dividend.
Jan Oblak was on hand to block a close-range effort from Gaston Pereiro, but after the ball pin-balled around in the box after, Atleti managed to clear.
Koke almost turns into own net
The second-half followed the pattern of the first and the first opening came after 57 minutes, and the hosts almost went ahead in extraordinary fashion.
Jetro Willems drilled a cross back to the edge of the area and the backtracking Koke almost turned into his own net from 20-yards out.
The visitors though they broke the deadlock five minutes later when Diego Godin headed home a corner, but he was judged to have climbed and the goal was ruled out.
Hosts down to 10-men
PSV found themselves down to 10-men when Pereiro received his second yellow card for jumping into Godin unnecessarily.
Gabi tested the keeper from range from the resulting free-kick, but Zoet seen the ball all the way and managed to parry away.
One-way traffic was expected, but the only real chance for the rest of the half fell the way of the hosts two minutes before the end.
A rare attack allowed Jarrit Hendrix to get forward down the flank, he managed to pick out Maxime Lestienne at the back post, but the substitute volleyed over the bar.
The two sides meet in the second-leg at the Vicente Calderon on March 15 where Atletico Madrid will be the favourites to go through to the quarter-finals.