The Spanish club have earned a well-founded reputation for iron-clad defence this season but it was the Dutch champions who had to produce a stout rearguard action to avoid being beaten and leave the tie balanced ahead of the return leg on March 15.
PSV, making their first appearance in the knockout phase of the competition since 2007, were forced to play the closing stages deep in their own half after 20-year-old striker Gaston Pereiro was sent off for a second booking in the 68th minute.
Having been cautioned in the first half, he was dismissed for a needless shoulder challenge on Atletico defender Diego Godin.
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“It was a difficult game. They were super good and super quick,” PSV defender Jeffrey Bruma told reporters.
“We fought with power and we did it well and we can be satisfied with the 0-0. We still have it in our own hands.”
The home side had started the game in an ambitious mood, fielding three attackers despite the absence of suspended top scorer Luuk de Jong.
Godin did put the ball in the net with a close-range header midway through the second half but his effort was ruled out for a push on a PSV defender.
The best chance of the first half also fell to Atletico.
Forward Luciano Vietto raced on to a long ball inside the opening three minutes and scooped it over PSV keeper Jeroen Zoet, but saw his effort cleared off the line by the back-tracking Bruma.
Atletico had to wait almost an hour for another opportunity with substitute Fernando Torres hitting a good effort wide almost immediately after coming on.
Bruma blocked a close-range effort from Angel Correa in the final 10 minutes with the ball striking him full in the face and knocking him off his feet.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; editing Ed Osmond)
