Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are still goalless after 135 minutes of their Champions League quarter-final clash, with the two sides going into the half-time interval of their second leg at the Bernabeu locked at 0-0.
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After a relatively quiet and scrappy opening it was the home side who had the first clear sight of goal, but Cristiano Ronaldo could only drag his effort wide after good hold-up play from Javier Hernandez.
There appeared to be few signs of anything different from the first-leg stalemate in the opening half-hour as both sides struggled to create clear openings, with James Rodriguez's wayward free kick one of the more notable moments of the half.
Jesus Gamez then threatened for the visitors when he nipped in front of James before firing an effort straight at Iker Casillas, who gathered the routine stop with minimum fuss.
The clearest opening of the match so far came shortly after the half-hour mark when James turned provider, sending a cross in towards Hernandez. The Mexican, in for the injured Karim Benzema, got his head to the ball, but Diego Godin did just enough to deflect it over the crossbar.
It was the hosts who were looking more likely as the ill-tempered half wore on and Ronaldo drew a good low stop from Jan Oblak with a trademark dipping free kick that had the keeper scrambling to his left.
The best chance of the half came right on the stroke of the interval when Mario Mandzukic was caught in possession on the edge of his own box, allowing James to slip the ball to Ronaldo, who was thwarted by a low stop from Oblak as the two sides went in all square.
Barney Corkhill
