Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid: Score, Grades, Reaction from Champions League

Real Madrid will take a slight advantage into their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid after claiming a 0-0 draw in an enthralling game at the Vicente Calderon.

Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak proved the hero for the home side in the first half with a string of fine stops as the visitors dominated.

But Diego Simeone's team fought their way back into the game as Real Madrid could not keep up the relentless pace of their first-half showing.

However, the game was also notable for some bad-tempered moments, with Atletico striker Mario Mandzukic angry at being left bloodied after a challenge with Sergio Ramos.

Yellow cards for Atletico's Mario Suarez and Real's Marcelo ensured they will not be taking part in the second leg, leaving both managers with changes to make at the Bernabeu next week.

After the match, Simeone said his team must show composure in the second leg, per the Champions League's Twitter account:

But even with the slight advantage, Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid won't be taking anything for granted in the second leg. Los Blancos are still yet to beat Atletico in seven encounters already this season.

Gareth Bale returned to the Real Madrid starting lineup along with James Rodriguez. Sami Khedira was named on the bench, but there was no place in the squad for Javier Hernandez despite his fine form in the weekend win over Eibar.

There were no surprises in the Atletico side with Mario Mandzukic shrugging off an injury to take his place in the starting XI alongside Antoine Griezmann. Fernando Torres was left with a spot on the bench.

The first strike on goal came from an unlikely source, as Real right-back Dani Carvajal tested Oblak. The Atletico goalkeeper saved comfortably, but he needed to be quick off his line in the fourth minute to block a Bale effort after the Wales international was set clear on goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo made his presence felt in the ninth minute with a long-range free-kick, but Oblak was behind the ball all the way.

Marcelo then brought down Arda Turan on the right flank to give Koke the chance to send over a dangerous free-kick for Atletico, but Real covered well inside their own area.

It was a frenetic match in the opening period, particularly with the visitors establishing their dominance, but Bale's miss represented the only clear-cut opportunity for either side.

Bale forced a great save from Oblak with a long-ranger which bounced just in front of the Slovenian, but there was no Real player ready to pounce on the loose ball after the goalkeeper's parry.

Oblak was once more the hero for Atletico in the 36th minute when he got down well to deny a fine curling effort from James.

Another stop from Oblak thwarted a dangerous James ball into the area before Karim Benzema headed over from in front of goal.

At the other end, Griezmann sent a glancing header just over from a Guilherme Siqueira cross. That was the last action of the first half, as both clubs headed to the locker rooms level at 0-0.

There was some controversy early in the second period when Mandzukic was left bloodied in a challenge with Ramos. The former Bayern Munich striker was angered by the collision and needed calming on the sidelines while he received treatment.

Almost immediately after returning to the action, Mandzukic was shown a yellow card for swinging his arm at Raphael Varane in an aerial duel.

Real Madrid were clearly not going to keep up the pace of their first-half showing, and Atletico pushed the tempo to make the second period a more matched affair.

The temperature of the tie was not on such an even keel, though, with a number of full-blooded challenges going unpunished by the referee. Carvajal was lucky not to be seen when he sent a punch into Mandzukic's chest on the hour mark.

Mario Suarez smuggled a chance off the feet of Ronaldo in the 69th minute, although Benzema should have taken the chance for himself after great work by Marcelo down the left.

Mandzukic was perhaps fortunate not to receive a second yellow in the 71st minute after his arm was raised in a challenge with Carvajal.

The visitors made their first change in the 76th minute when Isco replaced Benzema. Simeone then surprisingly brought off Griezmann for Raul Garcia when Mandzukic might have been the better option to remove from the action.

Ramos and Raul Garcia both went into the notebook after clashing in the 79th minute, and a red seemed inevitable before the game was done.

Arda Turan produced a superb run into the area moments later, and Varane needed to be alert to cut out his pass to Koke.

That was Koke's last touch, as the midfielder was substituted off for Torres with seven minutes remaining.

Suarez was also shown a yellow card in the 84th minute, which ruled him out of the second leg at the Bernabeu next week.

Torres did well to break into the Real area in the 88th minute, but Ramos checked the run of the former Chelsea striker.

Marcelo was cautioned after an aerial challenge with Torres, leaving him suspended for the second leg next week as well.

Atletico appealed for a penalty in the closing stages as Arbeloa blocked a Mandzukic drive, but replays proved the ball had struck the substitute in the stomach, not the hand.

The match ended goalless, and both teams will now head to the Bernabeu with the last four in their sights.

Selected Player Ratings

Gareth Bale: B

The Real Madrid man missed an early opportunity and was never quite in the game in the first half, but a long-range effort to force Oblak into a good save showed promise. However, the former Spurs man failed to build on that effort after the interval and did not make an impact.

Jan Oblak: A+

The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper was the hero for the home side in the first half, as he produced six great saves to deny the visitors. Chosen ahead of fit-again No. 1 Miguel Angel Moya, Oblak did not let his manager down.

Sergio Ramos: A

The Real Madrid defender was the scourge of Atletico in the Champions League final last season and was a driving force for Los Blancos throughout the game. He played a vital role in maintaining the pressure on Atletico from the back while making his tackles count.

Post-Match Reaction

Simeone gave his post-match thoughts on the controversial moments from the match:

Casillas spoke on Marcelo's impending suspension for the second leg:

Ancelloti praised his side for their first-half performance, but said they must improve at home next week: