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Atletico Madrid were held to a lacklustre 0-0 draw by relegation-threatened Alaves in La Liga on Saturday, in a match that rarely sparked into life.
With Diego Simeone’s side comfortably placed in third and virtually guaranteed Champions League qualification, there was little urgency from the visitors, who trail leaders Barcelona by nine points in the final stretch of the season.
For Alaves, the point could prove vital. The result lifts them provisionally to 16th in the table, moving three points clear of the relegation zone in their bid for top-flight survival.
The most dramatic moment of a tepid first half came when Julian Alvarez was initially sent off for a high challenge on fellow Argentine Facundo Garces. However, after consulting VAR, the referee downgraded the red card to a yellow.
Simeone rang the changes in search of a spark, withdrawing his son Giuliano and talisman Antoine Griezmann for Samuel Lino and impact substitute Alexander Sorloth.
It took until the final 20 minutes for Atletico to register a shot on target, with Antonio Sivera pushing away a long-range effort from Lino.
At the other end, Jan Oblak was called into action to deny Kike Garcia with a sharp low save, as Alaves looked to snatch a shock victory.
Sivera was again on hand to claw away a header from Clement Lenglet, while Angel Correa failed to convert a counter-attack in the dying moments as Atletico searched in vain for a winner.
