Barca were held at Osasuna in a goalless draw, while Atletico went down 1-0 at Espanyol. Earlier on Saturday, Madrid beat Malaga 2-0, while there were also wins for Real Sociedad, Elche, Levante and Athletic Bilbao.
Willy Caballero could not prevent Real Madrid from taking all three points at the Santiago Bernabeu, but frustrated Carlo Ancelotti's side for an entire half and such was his brilliance in the 2-0 defeat (in which he made 13 saves, many world-class stops) that Cristiano Ronaldo apologised to his own fans afterwards for his shortcomings in front of goal.
But Madrid were much improved and Dani Carvajal impressed in both defence and attack for los Blancos.Alejandro Arribas was a rock for Osasuna as the Navarrans frustrated Barcelona in Pamplona, whileAlejandro Galvez looked solid for Rayo Vallecano and scored a stunning goal to give the Madrid men victory over Almeria.
Mikel Rico was outstanding and scored in Athletic's 2-0 win over Villarreal, while Angel Di Maria netted the crucial opener in Madrid's 2-0 success over Malaga. Sami Khedira also impressed in midfield for Ancelotti's side, while former Madrid man Pedro Leon continued his fantastic form with a goal and an assist for Getafe in their 2-0 win at Granada.
