The Czech Republic battled to a goalless draw in their World Cup qualifier against Croatia on Thursday, holding off the group leader's who poured on the pressure in the final minutes in search of a winner, Reuters reported.

Both teams defended with discipline throughout the match as they looked to avoid big mistakes with players quickly shutting down attacks in dangerous areas and not giving up many goal-scoring chances.

The Czechs, learning their lesson from a 5-1 away drubbing by Croatia in June, pressed high from the start with midfielder Pavel Sulc missing an early opportunity with a shot straight at Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic, according to Reuters.