KUALA LUMPUR: It was billed as an explosive match between two of Southeast Asia's top football clubs.
But the only thing fans saw in this drab AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) fixture between Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) and Thailand's Buriram United were players losing their temper.
The teams saw red and the fans saw no goals in the 0-0 draw at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium.
Three red cards were shown and both teams were reduced to 10 men in the first half itself.
Saudi referee Khalid Saleh Al-Turais had a busy night, trying to control the ugly match which saw him also brandishing five yellow cards.
The Southern Tigers were the first to see red with Murilo Henrique getting expelled after a video assistant referee (VAR) check for his foul on Dion Cools in the 10th minute.
Despite the numerical advantage, Buriram could not exploit the situation and the Thai team were reduced to 10 men after skipper Theerathon Bunmathan was sent off by Khalid for pinching Arif Aiman Hanapi below the waist after a VAR check in the 45th minute.
Both teams behaved better in the second half with hosts JDT looking more threatening with their attempts, but they could not breach Buriram custodian Neil Leonard Etheridge.
Frustration seemed to creep into the hosts, and this saw defender Park Jun Heong getting the red card in the second minute of stoppage time for a dangerous challenge on a Buriram player.
The draw left JDT sixth in the 12-team league with eight points after six matches, following two wins, two draws and two losses. Buriram are eighth with six points and an inferior goal difference.
Only the top eight teams will advance to the ACLE round of 16. The Southern Tigers will resume their ACLE campaign next year against Australia's Central Coast Mariners on Feb 11 and South Korea's Pohang Steelers on Feb 18.