Atletico Madrid missed the chance to move three points clear at the summit of Group C following a 0-0 draw away to Astana on matchday four of the Champions League.
Fernando Torres, still hunting his 100th Atleti goal, missed the stand-out chance of a one-sided first half as the visitors tried and failed to earn a half-time lead.
Both cancelled each other out in a relatively dull second half which yielded no goals and precious few chances.
Diego Simeone's side move one point clear at the summit, but Benfica can dethrone them once more with victory at home to Galatasaray later.
Below, relive the action with our live commentary.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of Atletico Madrid's second half away to Astana in the Champions League. Technical difficulties hindered us in the first 45 minutes, but fortunately we didn't miss much.
Indeed, it's still 0-0 in Kazakhstan but Diego Simeone's side have been firmly on top. Fernando Torres missed probably the best chance of a one-sided first 45 minutes when he prodded wide. Koke and Tiago also spurned half chances.
With Benfica home to Galatasaray a little later, dropped points are not really an option for the Rojiblancos on an evening when victory would see them move top. They're a point clear of the Portuguese giants in Group C, but you have to fancy Benfica to win this evening and resume top spot.
KICKOFF: We're back underway! No changes from either side as Simeone continues with Torres and Griezmann in attack. Let's go.
No shortage of possession from the visitors, who are knocking it around very nicely indeed but there's a lack of cutting edge in the final third. It's a frosty night in Astana and there's very little to warm the cockles from an Atletico perspective as of yet.
Astana, to their credit, are hardly taking this lying down. They're starting to take the game to the visitors a little, with Junior Kabananga coming into the game a little more, but his only second-half highlights so far have been on this bleach-blonde head.
SHOT! First attempt of this second half from Astana as Shomko drills a free kick over the wall and over the bar. He was never testing Oblak.
SAVE! Finally a bit of promise from the Rojiblancos as Godin's header is comfortably saved by Nenad Eric. Still, promising from the visitors.
Marin Aničić is down on the ground receiving a bit of treatment. He's got a nose bleed and a black eye already from whatever happened to him during that corner. Suffice to say if he's already got a shiner, it'll swell up to the size of a football tomorrow morning.
Atletico slowly but surely getting to grips with the clash in this half and Siqueira is marginally ruled offside. There's been a real lack of urgency from the Rojiblancos thus far.
BOOKING: Second booking of the match now as Dzholchiyev picks up a yellow for a foul on Koke. Tiago just rolls an effort harmlessly wide now. They won 4-0 at the Vicente Calderon a couple of weeks back, but this is proving much harder.
SUB: Desperate times call for desperate measures and Simeone hauls off Torres for the very hit-and-miss Jackson Martinez. Torres still waiting for his 100th Atletico goal. He's probably been wearing a t-shirt under his top since August. It'll be worth the wait pal.
Saul Niguez's looping header is comfortably gathered by Eric here and, well, it's unspiring for the visitors. They're not at the races one bit.
Jackson Martinez gets his first touch and the Colombian looks full of bean as he shows his marker a clean pair of heels, but the referee awards a goal kick instead of corner. Still, nothing Martinez has done in his early Atletico career suggests that he can be the hero tonight.
SUB: Looks like Yannick Carrasco is coming on. Now he's a player who can certainly gives Atletico a kick up the you know what. He's got the pace and hunger to inspire them for the last 20 minutes or so. He replaces Saul.
CLOSE! Very, very close to the breakthrough for Atleti, with Griezmann exchanging a slick one-two with Tiago before dragging a left-footed cross-cum-shot just wide, with Martinez failing to poke home at the near post. Much better from Madrid though.
OFF THE BAR! Atletico need a bit of luck tonight, and they almost get it as Carrasco's devilish cross fools Eric and rolls along the crossbar. It'll be a nervy last 15 minutes for the hosts.
SUB: Astana make their first sub now as Zhukov replaces Muzhikov.
Right, ten minutes to go. Atletico did look like they were going to throw the kitchen sink at Astana there a moment ago but their momentum has all but disappeared again. They're as quiet as Bjork in a library now.
SUB: Congo striker Junior Kabananga is replaced by Aleksei Schetkin, which is a surprise. Kabananga was comfortably the hosts' best player in this half.
SUB: Atletico have one last throw of the dice as Oliver Torres - who did have a huge impact during his cameo two weeks ago - replaces the quiet Koke. This one isn't over.
CHANCE! Yannick Carrasco delivers a fine corner here and Diego Godin flicks his header harmlessly wide. He should've done much, much better. Will they get a better opportunity?
BOOKING: Astana are racking up the cautions now as Zhukov goes into the book for fouling Tiago.
Oh lord. Astana might've nicked this you know. It's Baurzhan Dzholchiyev, who was played in on goal. Luck favoured him as Godin slipped but he waited too long to pull the trigger and Giminez gets across well to snuff out the chance.
Martinez has done precisely nothing since replacing Torres, but he wins a free kick here and Carrasco will fizz it in, but the delivery is woeful and Astana clear. Visitors have a corner now, though.
THREE MINUTES ADDED ON: The good news is that there's only three minutes left of this shocker. The bad news is that time is moving as quick as Mertesacker in Doc Martins.
So poor from Godin, whose long ball resembles a clearance and he concedes a throw-in. That's probably that if we're honest.
FULL TIME: Astana 0-0 Atletico Madrid
That's it. Carrasco, just before the whistle, fluffed a decent chance by firing straight at Nenad Eric, but victory would've papered over the cracks. Overall, Atleti did nowhere near enough to win this one. It was a frosty night in Astana and the visitors were lukewarm at best. Poor.
They move top of Group C, one point clear of Benfica, who can establish a two-point lead at the summit if they beat Galatasaray in Lisbon later tonight. We'll have live text coverage of that, and every Champions League game tonight and tomorrow so do return. Until then, take care.
