Keeper Manuel Neuer was in outstanding form for Schalke 04 as leaders Borussia Dortmund failed to break down their Ruhr rivals in a hard-fought goalless Bundesliga derby Friday.
The point gives Dortmund a 12-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga over Bayer Leverkusen who play at Nuremberg on Saturday.
It was the second successive home draw since the winter break for Dortmund who were held 1-1 by Stuttgart two weeks ago, but the home side did everything right but beat Germany's number one Neuer.
"We have a point more than we had before the game," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp who said the failure to get three points was no setback.
"We've had games away from home when we've perhaps been lucky to get three points, and Schalke remained dangerous so we have to assess it the right way.
"It was an intensive game and we were the better team but nevertheless didn't win. That happens sometimes. It's disappointing, of course, but we played well and remain consistent and sometimes you come up against a team with a good keeper."
Germany coach Joachim Loew was among a capacity 80,720 crowd in Dortmund's Signal-Iduna-Park ground to see the home side dominate the first half.
Mario Goetze, one of five Dortmund players in Germany's squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Italy, had an excellent early chance to open the scoring but his shot was blocked by Neuer.
Neuer then saved twice from Jakub Blaszczykowski before Lucas Barrios poked the ball wide under pressure from Christoph Metzelder when through on goal.
Barrios struck the post 10 minutes after the break as Dortmund continued to go forward, before a minute later Schalke were dangerous for the first time when Jefferson Farfan fired over at the near post from a cross by Lukas Schmitz.
Schalke appeared to have weathered the storm and came close again in the 77th minute when Jose Manuel Jurado took a pass from Raul but Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller stuck out a leg to keep out his shot on the turn.
Neuer had to come quickly out of his area to block a shot from substitute Robert Lewandowski as Dortmund immediately hit back.
And in a night of frustration for Klopp's side, Goetze was put through by Lewandowski and rounded Neuer but had to turn and could only strike his shot against the post with five minutes remaining.
"It would have been a deserved win for Dortmund," said Neuer. "I'd rather it had been a game where we had all the chances."
Schalke coach Felix Magath, who gave a debut to Ghanaian new signing Anthony Annan in midfield, said Neuer kept his side in the game in the first 30 minutes when his side "began nervously."
But it was a more encouraging performance in the second half when Schalke had a strong wind in their backs.
"In the end it was a fair result if a bit fortunate. In the second half we had our chances as well and played better," said Magath whose side remain stuck in midtable on 26 points.
Dortmund have 51 points, with Leverkusen on 39 and champions Bayern Munich, who are at Cologne, and Mainz, who entertain Werder Bremen, both on 36 ahead of their matches Saturday.
The point gives Dortmund a 12-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga over Bayer Leverkusen who play at Nuremberg on Saturday.
It was the second successive home draw since the winter break for Dortmund who were held 1-1 by Stuttgart two weeks ago, but the home side did everything right but beat Germany's number one Neuer.
"We have a point more than we had before the game," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp who said the failure to get three points was no setback.
"We've had games away from home when we've perhaps been lucky to get three points, and Schalke remained dangerous so we have to assess it the right way.
"It was an intensive game and we were the better team but nevertheless didn't win. That happens sometimes. It's disappointing, of course, but we played well and remain consistent and sometimes you come up against a team with a good keeper."
Germany coach Joachim Loew was among a capacity 80,720 crowd in Dortmund's Signal-Iduna-Park ground to see the home side dominate the first half.
Mario Goetze, one of five Dortmund players in Germany's squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Italy, had an excellent early chance to open the scoring but his shot was blocked by Neuer.
Neuer then saved twice from Jakub Blaszczykowski before Lucas Barrios poked the ball wide under pressure from Christoph Metzelder when through on goal.
Barrios struck the post 10 minutes after the break as Dortmund continued to go forward, before a minute later Schalke were dangerous for the first time when Jefferson Farfan fired over at the near post from a cross by Lukas Schmitz.
Schalke appeared to have weathered the storm and came close again in the 77th minute when Jose Manuel Jurado took a pass from Raul but Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller stuck out a leg to keep out his shot on the turn.
Neuer had to come quickly out of his area to block a shot from substitute Robert Lewandowski as Dortmund immediately hit back.
And in a night of frustration for Klopp's side, Goetze was put through by Lewandowski and rounded Neuer but had to turn and could only strike his shot against the post with five minutes remaining.
"It would have been a deserved win for Dortmund," said Neuer. "I'd rather it had been a game where we had all the chances."
Schalke coach Felix Magath, who gave a debut to Ghanaian new signing Anthony Annan in midfield, said Neuer kept his side in the game in the first 30 minutes when his side "began nervously."
But it was a more encouraging performance in the second half when Schalke had a strong wind in their backs.
"In the end it was a fair result if a bit fortunate. In the second half we had our chances as well and played better," said Magath whose side remain stuck in midtable on 26 points.
Dortmund have 51 points, with Leverkusen on 39 and champions Bayern Munich, who are at Cologne, and Mainz, who entertain Werder Bremen, both on 36 ahead of their matches Saturday.
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