Real Madrid's 2015-16 got off to a turgid start on Sunday evening after last season's La Liga runners-up ran to a 0-0 stalemate against top-flight newcomers Sporting Gijon.
Rafa Benitez's side struggled to break down their hosts at El Molinon, where a tough-tackling, gutsy performance from the promoted party secured a terrific point in their first game back among Spain's elite.
It's hardly the start Benitez would have envisioned for his first La Liga game in charge of Real, with Bleacher Report UK illustrating the response the manager's likely to receive in the wake of Sunday's bore draw:
Los Merengues dominated the shot count while limiting Sporting to just a handful of their own attempts on Keylor Navas' net, but there was no end product to be found on a frustrating night for the visitors.