Spain and Portugal went into the break tied 0-0 after an entertaining first half in their FIFA World Cup round of 16 clash in Dallas on Tuesday.
Spain enjoyed more of the ball and controlled long spells of the game. They created the better chances but failed to find the breakthrough.
Mikel Oyarzabal missed Spain’s best opening after Dani Olmo played him through on goal. Later, Olmo sent another dangerous cross across the six yard box, but no teammate was there to finish.
Portugal also threatened on the counter.
Nuno Mendes came closest to scoring in the 42nd minute. His long range effort took a deflection off Pedro Porro and crashed against the crossbar with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon beaten.
Cristiano Ronaldo also tested Simon after reacting quickly inside the penalty area. The Spain goalkeeper produced a full stretch save to keep the score level.
Spain midfielder Pedri struggled to make his usual impact, while Bruno Fernandes found little space as Portugal defended deep and looked to break quickly.
The match stayed competitive throughout the first half. Anthony Taylor kept his cards in his pocket despite several strong challenges, including one by Porro on Joao Felix that escaped a booking.
Six minutes of added time brought no goals, leaving the fierce Iberian rivalry finely balanced at the break.
The winner will face either the United States or Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals.
