In the end, it was frustration for Real Madrid and quiet satisfaction for their visitors at the Bernabeu.
For periods of this game, Atletico Madrid struggled to contain Zinedine Zidane's side but they emerged with a point that left them four clear of Real Madrid in second place.
Cristiano Ronaldo's superbly taken volley had put Los Blancos in front after a spell of prolonged pressure early in the second half. But Atletico's response was instant and they were quickly level when Antoine Griezmann linked up with Vitolo and guided home into an empty net.
Both sides had chances to win the game, although it was Real Madrid, unsurprisingly, who probed with most intent in the latter stages of the second half. There was, though, no way through a typically resilient Atletico.
Here are five things we learned from an entertaining Madrid derby.