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Barcelona and Real Madrid remain level on points atop La Liga after a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night.
The match, which had been postponed from October due to political unrest in Barcelona, played out amid the backdrop of further protests over the jailing of Catalan separatist leaders by Spain’s Supreme Court.
Loud chants of “independence” and “freedom” greeted kick-off while many supporters held up flags reading “Spain Sit and Talk” distributed by protest organisers in a call for dialogue between the central government and Catalonia.
Local police reported confrontations between officers and protesters outside the ground while play was briefly stopped in the second half when a number of beach balls were thrown on to the pitch amid more chants for freedom for the jailed leaders.
Meanwhile on the field, the first half produced plenty of action but no goals in a wide open affair, with both teams having to clear chances off their own goal lines as each looked to take the outright lead in La Liga with a win.
Despite the level scoreline, it was Madrid that had the better of the opening 45 minutes, outshooting the hosts 12 to three for their most shots in the first half of a La Liga Clasico in 10 years.
Barcelona upped the tempo in the second half and should have taken the lead on the hour mark, but Lionel Messi uncharacteristically fluffed his lines with a first-time shot right in front of the Madrid goal.
The visitors looked to have found their breakthrough in the 72nd minute with a Gareth Bale goal, but Ferland Mendy was adjudged to have been offside before he squared the ball to the Welshman for the shot.
The result sees the two teams stay level on points on 36 atop La Liga and marks the first time in 50 Clasicos that the match finished in a goalless draw.