FC Koln have missed the opportunity to climb into the top half of the Bundesliga table after being held to a goalless draw by Stuttgart.

It was a confident start from the hosts as they dominated possession throughout the early stages, but opportunities were few and far between as Stuttgart produced a stubborn defensive display.

Stuttgart came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Martin Harnik found space on the edge of the box to force Timo Horn into a low save.

It was a chance which forced the visitors on to the front foot, and Koln were rescued by Horn once again after the break when he pushed Moritz Leitner's free kick to safety.

Horn's performance was one of the few positives on a frustrating night for the hosts, and the shot-stopper excelled again by coming off his line quickly to block an effort from Daniel Schwaab.

After soaking up pressure for long spells of the second half, Koln asked more questions late on and almost snatched the win when Bard Finne fired over after latching on to a loose ball in the box.